2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER light

Always remember: Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly restrained for its age and si ze.
_&. WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision .
- Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat . An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­ ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
r::;,page 138. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
r::;, page 119, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
_&. WARNING
-
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Child Safety 147
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
r::;, page 128, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on the inflating
airbag will hit the child safety seat or in­
fant carrier with great force and will
smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your Audi dealer.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­ ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis­
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
_&. WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­ straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position. •
•

148 Child Safety
-Make sure t hat the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched on .
A WARNING
Rearward -fac ing ch ild restra ints:
- A ch ild in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be ser iously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates - even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating a irbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carri er wit h great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the b ackrest, door or
roof.
- Alway s be espe cially caref ul if you must
ins tall a re arwa rd fa cing child s afety seat
on the front passenge r seat in exception ­
al circumstances .
- A tight tether st rap on a rearward-facing
child rest raint attached to the front pas ­
senger seat can put too much pressu re
on the weight-mat in the seat and reg is­
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced A ir­
bag System. The heav ier we ight regis­
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Ai rbag when it must
be s uppressed causing ser ious o r even
f a tal inj ury to the child .
- Make su re that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and s tays on all the
t ime whe never the ignition i s switched
on.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on . If t he PAS·
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on the inflating airbag
will hit the child safety seat or infant car­
rie r with great fo rce and will smash the
child safety seat and child against the
backrest, door or roof. Have the airbag
system inspected immediately by your
au thori zed Au di d ealer .
Activating the convertible locking
retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cu re a child re strain t.
Always heed the ch ild safety sea t manufactur­
er's instr uctions when installing a child re­
st ra in t in your veh icle . To a ctivate the conve r­
t ible lo cking re tractor:
.,. Place t he ch ild restraint on a seat .
.,. Slowly pu ll the belt
all the way out .
.,. Route i t around or th roug h the child re­
s train t belt pa th
~ .&, .
.,. Push the ch ild safety seat down with you r
full weight to get the safety be lt really tight.
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.,. Guide the safety belt back i nto the retractor
until the be lt lies flat and snug o n the child
safety seat.
"" Yo u should hear a "cl icking " noise as the
be lt winds back into the inertia ree l. Test the
convert ible lo cki ng re tr actor by pulling on
t he belt. You s hould no longer be ab le to
pull t he be lt out of the retrac to r. T he con ­
vertible locking retracto r is now activated .
.,. Make s ure that the red release button is fac ­
ing away from the child rest raint so that it
can be unbuckled quick ly.
.,. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety be lt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
s e at ca nnot move forwa rd or sideways more
than one inch ( 2.S cm).
A WARNING
Using the wrong child res traint o r an i m­
pr operly ins talled chi ld restraint can cause
se rious pe rsonal injury or deat h in a c rash.
- Always ma ke sure tha t t he safe ty belt re-
trac to r i s loc ked when insta lling a child
safety seat. An un locke d safety belt re­
tracto r cannot hold the child safety seat
in place dur ing norma l dr iving o r in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child sa fety seat firmly
-
in place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it. ~

as a pulsing motion of the brake pedal, ac­
companied by some noises. In order for ABS
to be able to operate optimally in th is range,
you must keep the brake pedal depressed -
never "pump the brakes" . You should not ex­
pect that braking d istances w ill be
shortened
under all circumstances with ABS . Braking dis­
tance may even be slightly
longer, for exam­
p le on gravel or wi th fresh snow on a slippery
surface .
If a sign ificant
speed differential between the
d rive wheels on one axle is determined (for
examp le, on a su rface that is s lippery
on one
side),
the EDS brakes the spinn ing whee l and
transfers power to the other drive whee ls.
This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the brake system
signal that whee l spin is being controlled.
I f one whee l spins when starting from a com­
p lete stop because o f a different grip (for ex­
ample , one wheel o n ice), keep your foot
hard
on the accelerator until the veh icle starts to
move.
If the wheels spin , ASR wi ll automatically re­
duce engine torque and match power to road
surface conditions .
Switching on Sport mod e
In specific driving situations (e.g. Launch Con ­
trol), you swi tch ASR and ESP to Sport mode
by pressing the
[!I button once . The indicator
light
11 illuminates and ESP sport -Wa rni ng!
Restric ted stab ility
appears . "Slip" is matched
to the speed. You should do this only if your
driving skill and traffic cond it ions permit .
Switching ASR /ESP off
In certain sit uations (e .g . in deep snow, on a
l oose surface, o r when rocking the vehicle
free), switch ASR and ESP off by pressing the
[ill button for more than 3 seconds. The ind ica­
tor light
I) illuminates and ES P sw itc hed off -
Warning! R estricted stability
appears . You
should do th is only if your driving skill and
traffic cond itions pe rmit .
Int ellig ent technolog y 151
Switching ASR /ESP on
Activate ASR/ ESP by p ressing the [!I button
again. The message
ESP on appears in the d is­
play briefly.
Brake overheating
So that the disc b rake on a b raked wheel does
not overheat, the EDS switches off automati­
ca lly if there is un usua lly severe loa ding at
th is wheel. The vehicle is st ill drivable and has
the same properties as a vehicle wit hout EDS .
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDS
swi tches on aga in automatically.
A WARNING
- Even ESP, ABS, EDS and ASR cannot over ­
come the laws of physics . You should
keep this in m ind in particular on an icy
or wet road. If the systems intervene,
you shou ld adjust your speed immediate­
ly to road and traff ic conditions . Do not
be tempted by the increased safety pro­
vided to take risks -you risk having an
accident.
- Please keep in mind that the r isk of an
accident is i ncreased by driving too fast,
pa rti cularly in corners and on icy or wet
ro ads, and by drivi ng too close to the ve­
hicle ahead . Even ES P, ABS, E DS and ASR
cannot eliminate the increased risk of
having an accident.
-Apply the throttle ca re fully when accel ­
erating on a consistently s lippery sur­
face, e.g. on ice and snow . The drive
wheels can spin in spite of the EDS and thereby affect vehicle stability -you risk
having an accident .
- Please note that when ASR or ESP/ASR is
deactivated, the drive wheels can spin on
icy and slippery roads and the veh icle can
break away -the re is a risk of skidd ing!
(D Tips
- In the event of a defect in the rear spoil-
er system or in Audi magnet ic ride, it can
happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be .,.
•
•

152 Intelligent te chn olog y
deactivat ed, or they are activated auto­
matically in the deactivated state .
- If a malfunction occurs in the E DS, this is
signaled by an indicator light, see
~ page 18.
- Some tracks (e.g . steeply banked turns)
may affect ESP response.
Rear spoiler
T h e rear spoil er improv es vehicle handling
and enhances driver control .
Fig . 134 Sw it ch for re ar s po ile r
The rear spoi ler deploys and retracts . Spo iler
operat ion can be set fo r automatic or manual
operation.
Automatic mode (no rmal operation )
-Extending automa tically : This oc curs when
driv ing faster than approximately 62 mph
(100 km/h) or at a certain eng ine compart­
ment tempe rature
1>.
- Retracting automatically : This occurs when
dr iv ing slower than approximately 22 mph
(35 km/h) or at a certain engine compart­
ment temperature
1> .
M anual mode
- Extending manually : Press the switch
~ fig . 134 briefly to extend the rear spoiler
completely .
- Retracting manually : When dr iv ing at
speeds below approximately 12 mph (20 km/h), press and hold the switch to retract
the rear spo iler. When driving at speeds be­
tween 12 mph and 62 mph (20 km/h and
l) The rear s po iler o nly e xten ds or ret racts a bove ac er­
ta in eng in e te mp erat ure in some m odels.
100 km/h), press the switch briefly to re­
tract the rea r spoiler comp lete ly. You cannot
retract the rear spoi ler if it extended due to
the engine compartment temperature .
Indicator light
When the indicato r light f.-j appears, there is
a system malfunction . The rear spoiler may
not be able to extend . This cou ld change the
veh icle's d riving characterist ics at h igh
s peeds. Do not exceed 87 mph (140 km/h) .
Drive to your au thorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed ca n impair handling char­
acteristics, making the ve hicle ha rder to
control.
- I mp rope r operation of the rear spoiler
can cau se crushing injuries. Always ma ke
sure tha t nobody, especia lly children, is
i n the way when the rear spoi ler is de­
p loyed or retracted.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws .
- H ot air from the eng ine compartmen t
can escape thro ugh the rear spo iler when
it is open and it could burn you .
(D Note
-Never push the vehicle or apply force to
t he rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- Ope rate the rear spoiler manually on ly
when the eng ine compartmen t lid is
closed, otherwise there is a ris k of dam­
age .
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler comp artment eve ry 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compa rtment m ust
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debr is.

Braking
New brake pads
During the firs t 250 miles (4 00 km), new
b rake pads do not possess their f ull braking
effect, they have to be "broken in" first. The
d istance can be ten times longer in ve hicles
with ceramic brakes *. Yo u can compensate f or
this slightly reduced b rak ing power by push­
in g harder on the b rake pedal. Avoid heavy
br ak ing loads during the b reak -in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditi ons and dr iv ing habits
c:> & . On ve­
hi cles that are either driven mostly in stop­
a n d-go ci ty traffic o r are d riven ha rd, the
b rake pads should be checked by you r auth or­
iz ed A udi dealer more o ften than specifie d in
the
Warranty & Maintenan ce booklet . Fail ure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n re duced b rake performance.
O n steep slo pes, you shou ld use the b ra kin g
effec t of the eng ine. Th is w ay, yo u prevent un­
n ecessa ry wea r on the bra ke system . If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the bra kes
down continuously. P ump the brakes at inte r­
va ls.
Moisture or road salt
A t speed s above 70 mph ( 110 k m/h) and wit h
the windshield wipe rs swi tched
on (at le ast in ­
terval stage 4), the bra ke pads are br iefly a p­
p lied against the bra ke discs. T his occ urs at
regu lar intervals witho ut the driver noticing
and prov ides for better brake response time
u nder wet condit io ns.
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for examp le, w hen
driving thr ough water or ve ry heavy rain, or
even after was hing yo ur vehicle, the brak ing
effect ca n be red uced d ue to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few ca utious brake applicat ions should d ry off
t he bra ke pads o r rem ove any ice coa tings.
The effective ness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven o n a salt-covered
Intelligent technology 153
road and the b ra kes are no t used . Li kewise,
yo u clean off accu mulated salt coatin g from
brake d iscs and pads with a few cautio us ap ­
plications of t he brake
c:> & .
Corrosion
The re may be a tendency for di rt to build up
on the brake pads and cor ros ion to form on
the discs if t he car is not driven regu la rly or
on ly for short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not use d frequently, o r if cor­
r os ion has formed on the discs, it is adv isa ble
to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> & .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld not ice a sudden in crease i n
brake pedal trave l, t hen one of the two brake
c ir cuits may have fa iled. Dr ive immediately to
the nearest qualified wor kshop to have the
damage repaired . Dr ive at reduced speed on
the way there and ant ici pate longer stopping
dis tances and high er pedal p ress ure c:> & .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occ ur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ro nica lly.
Brake power assist unit
T he bra ke power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate w ith the brake
pedal. It work s only when the engine is run­
ning.
Brake lining wear status
B ra ke lining wear may be che cke d by visual in ­
s p ection of t he condition of the bra ke pads
th ro ugh the open ings in the wheel. If neces ­
sary, the w hee l may be removed fo r thi s i n­
spect ion
c:> page 216 .
A WARNING
- You should perform braking mane uvers
f o r th e purpos e of cleaning the brake
s ys tem only if roa d condit ions permit.
•
•

156 Intelligent technology
Dynamic energy management
While the veh icle is be ing driven , dynamic en­
e rgy management distributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components . It regu lates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­ mal state of charge for the battery .
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are li mited .
- If starting ab ility is threatened, you are
i nformed by a warn ing
<=> page 156,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abu ndant electr ical energy is re­
qu ired, but only a little is generated . It is also
cr itical if the engine is not running and elect ri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat­
ing the distrib ution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elect rical compo­
nents are gradually cut back o r switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period.
Take into considerat ion that when you un lock
your vehi cle, some convenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
turn on the ignition and start the engine. With the
engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for examp le, w ith
the engine turned off, the battery is being dis­
charged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption , a message appea rs in the
driver information display.
You have to start the engine to charge the batte ry.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being gene rated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium , consume rs which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporar ily cut
back or sw itched off. Heating systems in par­
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off . These systems will be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You wi ll also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Th is is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gene r­
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T h is not ificat io n r eminds you that the start ing
capability of the engine may be lim ited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery .,..

-Have you r vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendat ions in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the Emission Control Sys­
tem and could lead to damage.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
your vehicle, you can he lp ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessarily during sporty driv ­
ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is driven at a maximum engine speed of
6000 RPM
(Vl0 engine) or 7000 RPM (V8 engine) in or­
der to raise the engine oil temperature to a minimum of
140 °F (60 °(). The tires also on­
ly reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up .
The cooling fan can continue to run in your ve­ h icle after the engine is switched
off. H owev­
er, driving the vehicle to cool it down is part ic ­
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the exhaust system, and
the t ransm ission all become ex treme ly hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you shou ld d rive
it for a few mi les/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to coo l down .
Driving on a track
Before you take your vehicle out on a track,
ensure that it is in perfect condition. For ex­
ample, you should check the tire tread and the brake pads . It is best to increase t ire pressure
by about 0 .3 bar .
When driving on a track, oil consumption may be somewhat higher than in "normal" opera­
tion ¢page
180.
You shou ld definitely inspect your vehicle af­
ter subjecting it to severe condit ions. Are the
brake pads OK? Is there anything unusual
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 159
about the ti res, including the inner and outer
sidewa lls (e.g . tread, blistering)? Are the air
intakes free of leaves and tire dust? Is the o il
l evel OK?
Your authorized Audi dea ler or qua lified work­
shop will be happy to undertake an inspection
before and after use on the race track.
(D Tips
- Some race tracks (e.g . steeply banked
t u rns) may affect the response of the
ESP .
- When driven on a race track, all vehicle
parts are severe ly stressed. This can re ­
sult in increased wear.
Operation and maintenance
Fuel economy, env ironme nta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
By having your ve hicle reg ularly se rv iced by an
authorized Aud i dea ler helps to ens ure that i t
r uns properly and econom ica lly. The condition
of your veh icle not only affects its safety and
ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
f u el
con sumptio n.
The amount o f oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can p rope rly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l cons umption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Regular and correct care will contribute to
maintaini ng the beauty and value of your Au­
d i. Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty cla im should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your authorized Audi R8 dealer has a variety
of
d edicat ed ve hicl e-car e produ ct s. Please
make sure you apply them correctly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels .
- Always read directions on the container before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas .
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polis h remover or other volatile
fluids . They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wa x or d ry the vehicle wi th the ign it ion
on or the eng ine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. wit h out pro­
tecting your hands and arms . You may
c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may imp air
braking efficiency
c:> page 153, Broking.
T est the brakes carefully each time you
wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select only environmentally friend ly clean­
ing products . Leftover clean ing products
should not disposed of in the household
waste .
Cleaning and protec tion 16 1
Care of exterior
Washing your vehicle
The longer i nsect rema ins, bird dropp ings,
t ree res in , ro ad and indust rial dust, tar , soo t
particles, road salt, and o ther aggressive de­
pos its remain on the vehicle su rface, the more
lasting their destructive effect will be . High
temperatures, for example from intense s un­
light, intensify the corrosive effect.
After the end of winter road salting, the un­ derside of the vehicle shou ld be thoroughly
washed .
Automatic car washes
You must t ake the necessary precautions s uch
as clos ing t he windows and convert ible top
before using an automatic car wash.
If yo ur
vehicle has specia l accessories - e.g . spoilers,
radio antenna -it is best to speak to the oper­
ator of the car wash c:>(D .
Only use car washes where the vehicle re ­
mains stationary and the cleaning equipment
moves around the veh icle while washing and
drying. It is not possib le to use car washes
where the vehicle is moved forward on a con­
veyer
c:> ,& .
It is preferab le to wash your vehicle in a
brush less carwash .
Washing with a pow er wa sher
When was hing yo ur vehicle with a power
washe r, be sure to follow the operating in ­
structions for the power washer. This applies particu larly to the
p ressure and the spra ying
distance .
Mainta in sufficient distance from
soft materials such as rubber hoses, sound
deade ning mater ial, and the park ing aid sen­
sors* that are located i n the front or rear
bumper.
Do not use washers with
a ro tating jet or a
nozzle spraying
a h igh pr essur e je t of wate r in
any case.
IJl,-
•
•