~ Install the battery cover.
~ Close the luggage compartment lid
¢page 42.
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. Before charging
at
high voltages, i.e. "fast charging", you
must disconnect both cables. In either case,
follow the instructions from the manufacturer
of the charger .
Fastcharging a battery is
dangerous ¢.&. in
Working on the battery on page 185 .
It re
quires special charging equipment and the knowledge to go with it. We recommend hav
ing your battery fast charged only by a quali
fied workshop.
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C) . Allow a frozen bat
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it¢ ,&. . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma
tion and can leak battery acid.
Do not open the battery caps when charging
the battery.
_& WARNING
-
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Never charge a frozen battery .
It may ex
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion , never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe
tent technician with the proper equip ment.
Checking and filling 187
- Battery acid that may spill during charg
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu
tralize the acid .
@ Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc ., as well
as the battery charger .
(D Tips
-The vehicle battery must not be charged
with a standard small charger that plugs
into the cigarette lighter or outlet .
- Only charge the battery through the con
nections in the luggage compartment.
Replacing the battery
The new battery must have the same specifi
cations as the old one.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent
energy management system for distributing
electricity ¢
page 155. The battery charges
better in vehicles with the energy manage
ment system than in vehicles without the sys
tem. To ensure that the additional power is
available after replacing the battery , replacing
with the same type of battery from the same
manufacturer (like the battery that was deliv
ered with the vehicle) is recommended. An au
thori zed dealer mus t code the battery in the
energy management control module .
T he new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 volts), current and design and it
must be sealed with plugs. The battery must
conform to the standards TL 825 06 (from Oc
tober 2006) and VW 7 50 73 (from August 2001).
Since the vehicle battery is difficult to reach,
we recommend having the battery replaced by
an authorized Audi R8 dealer or other quali-
fied workshop . ..,. •
•
220 What do I do now?
connected to the battery of another vehicle,
using a pair of jumper cables to start the en
gine.
Both batteries must be rated at 12 volts. The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery must not
be substantially less than the capacity of the
discharged battery.
Jumper cables Use
only jumper cables of sufficiently large
cross section to safely carry the starter cur
rent. Refer to the manufacturer's specifica
tions.
Use only jumper cables which have
insulated
terminal clamps and are properly marked for
distinction :
plus(+) cable: in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable: in most cases colored black
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas .
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield your eyes and avoid lean
ing over the battery whenever possible.
- A discharged battery can already freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °C).
Before connecting a jumper cable, the
frozen battery must be thawed com
pletely, otherwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin. Flush any contacted area with
water immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gas
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with
a low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat
tery. Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
"Ah" rating
may cause an explosion and personal in
jury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen . The battery case may have
be weakened .
- Use of batteries of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat
ing may cause an explosion and injury.
The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be lower than that of the dis
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
9 page 175, Working in the
engine comportment.
(!) Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster bat
tery will cause expensive damage to sen
sitive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact be
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected.
(D Tips
- The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys
tem.
- Switch off any car phone, or follow the
car phone instructions for this situation.
Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 165 Passenger's s ide wheel well: Foot rest with
fuse arrangement
The fuses are located in the footwell area on
the passenger's side behind a cover.
• Turnoff the ignition and the affected electri
cal consumers .
• Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the consumer.
• Remove the floor mat .
• Fold the foot rest back
c::> fig. 165.
• Remove the clamp from the holder in the
fuse box.
• Remove the fuse using the clamp and re
place the blown fuse w ith an identical new
one.
• Fold the foot rest down again .
A WARNING
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
blown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec
trical system and a fire.
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after shortly
have you have installed it, have the electri
cal system checked by your authorized Au
d i dealer.
Fuse s and bulbs 223
@ Tips
-The following table does not list fuse lo
cations that are not used.
- Some of the equipment items listed are
optional or only available on certain
mode l configurations.
Fuse assignment
Fig. 166 Passenge r footwe ll: Fuse assignment
Fuse panel @
Consumer
1 VOA interface
2
3
4
5
Heated windshield washer
nozzle
Audi parking system Engine compartment lid re
lease
Diagnostic interface, light
switch, indicator light
Pas
senger Air Bag OFF ,
selector
lever
6 Networking gateway
Amps
5
5
5
10
10
5
230 Index
A
A/C operation ................. .... .. 75
ABS
refer to Anti-Lock Brake System . .. .. . 150
A cces sories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Active rollover protection system . .. ... 107
Retracting rollover protection ... .. ... 107
Adding
Eng ine coolant ... ..... ... .. .. .. .. .
183
Eng ine oil .. .. . ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. . 180
Addit ional accessories .. .... .... .. .. . 211
Additives .................. ... .... . 180
Adjustable steering column ...... .. .... 77
Adju sting front sea ts ....... .. .. .. .. . .
66
Advanced Airbag System
Children ... ............... .. .... .
139
Compon ents ................ ..... . 124
Front ai rbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
How the component s work togethe r .. 125
Mon ito ring . .... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. . 128
Weight-sen sing mat .. .... .. .. .. .. . 139
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 136
Car e ... .. .. ................ ..... . 130
Child restraints .. .. ... ...... .. .. .. .
140
Components (fron t air bags) .. .. .... . 124
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . .
119
Disposal ............. ........ .... 130
Front airbags ... .. ... .... .. .. .. .. . 121
H ow do the front airbags work? . .... . 126
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? .................... .. .... .
124
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system ....... .. .. .. .. .
134
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Indica tor ligh t .... .... ..... .. .. .. . 128
Knee airbags ... ... .... ..... .. .. .. . 132
Monitoring ................. ... ... 128
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light . . . . . . . 128
Service .. ...... .. ... .... .. .. .. .. . 130
Side airbags ..... .. .. .... .. .. .. .. . 135
Warning/indicator light ..... ... .... .. 17
When must the system be inspected? . 128
Air cond itioning
A/C operation . .... .... ..... .. .. .. .. 75
A ir distribution .... ....... .. .. .. .. ..
74
Air recirculation mode ......... .... .. 75 Automatic mode
.............. .... . 75
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
72
Defrost ..... .. .. .. .............. .. 75
E conomi cal use .. ....... ..... ..... .
76
Fan .. .... .. .. .. ...... ... .... .... . 74
Rear window defogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Switching on and off .... ......... .. . 74
Temperature ... ............ ........ 73
Air d istribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
Air recirculation mode Air condit ioning . ................. .. 75
All-wheel drive .. ............ .......
155
Winter tires . .. .. ... .. ..... ... .... 203
Anti-free ze
refer to Engine cool ant system ... .. .. 181
Anti-Lock Brake System .......... .... 150
Warning/indicator light ............ .. 18
Anti-Slip Regulation System .. .... .... 150
Anti- theft alarm system ... .... ... .... . 43
Anti-theft whee l bolts .............. . 216
Ashtray ........... .... ........... .. 69
ASR
refer to An ti-Slip Regulation System .. 150
Asterisk .... .. .. .. .. ................ . 6
Audi magnetic ride ................. ..
82
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Wa rning/ind icator light ... .. .. .. .. .. . 15
Aud i Servi ce Repa ir Manuals and Li te ra-
ture ........ ... .. .. ... ....... .... .
209
Automated manua l transmission
ref er to R tronic . ................. .. 85
Automat ic be lt retractor ...... .. ... .. 112
Autom atic car w ash
refer to Washing ........... ....... 16 1
Automatic headlight ................. 55
Automat ic headl ight control ...... .. .. .
62
Automatic headlight s
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5
Auto Safety Hotline ............. ....
105
Average fuel mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Aver age speed . .. .. .. ..... .. .. .. .... . 23
B
Battery ..... ..... .. ............... 184
Cha rging .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. ... .... 186
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Disconnecting ........... .. .. .. ... 184
Low ..... .. .. .. ........... .. .. ... 155
replac ing ... ............. .. .. .. .. . 187
State of charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicles not driven for long periods .. . 184
W inter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184, 185
Working on the battery .... .. .. .. .. . 185
Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
B efore driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Blended gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Booster seats ............. .. .. .. ... 145
Brake system
Brake fluid . ............. .. .. .. .. . 184
Brake light defective ........ .. .. .. .. 35
Brake power assist unit ............. 153
Brakes ..... .. ............. .. .. ... 153
Ceramic brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Malfunction .. ........... .. .. .. .... 32
Warning/indicator light .... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Worn brake pads ........... .. .. .. .. 33
Break-in period ............ .. .. .. ... 158
Bulbs ...... ... ................ .... 224
C
California Proposit ion 65 Warning ..... 176
Battery specific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Capac it ies ... .. ........... .. .. .... . 228
Carbon-fiber parts Ext erio r .. .. ............. .... .. .. . 164
I n terior .... .. ........... .. .. .. ... 166
Car care . .. .. ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 16 1
Cargo area
refer to Luggage compartment . . . . . . . 104
Car key . ... .. .. ... .......... .. .. .... 37
Catalytic converter ............ .... .. 158
Certification ... ........... .. .. .. ... 212
Changing a flat tire ........... .. .. .. . 216
Chass is
refer to Audi magnetic ride .... .... ... 82
Checking Eng ine coolant level ....... .. .. .. .. . 182
Tire pressure ............. .... .. .. . 195
Index 231
Child rest raints
Danger of using child restraints in the
fro nt seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Where can I get additional informat ion
about child restraints and the ir use? .. 149
Child safety ... .. .... . ............ .. 138
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . 146
Important sa fety instructions for using
ch ild safety seats ..... ......... .. .. 141
Important t hings to know when driving
with ch ildren .. .. .. ..... .......... 138
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Convertib le child seats ......... .. .. 144
Co nvertib le locking retractor ..... .. .. 146
How do I properly install a child safety
sea t in my veh icle? .. ... ....... .... . 141
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Installing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Safety instructions .... ......... .... 141
Cigarette lighter ... .... ... .... .... .. . 69
Cleaning Alcantara (synthetic suede) .......... 168
Engine compartment ............... 169
Exhaust tail pipes .................. 16S
Fabr ics and fabric coverings ..... .. .. 166
Leat her ...... ... .. ............... 167
Radio and navigation display ........ . 165
Safety belts ... .. ................. 168
Cleaning and protection .............. 161
Cleaning the navigation display ........ 165
Cleaning the radio display . .......... . 165
Climate controls ... .. .. ......... .. .. . 72
D ust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Heating ... .. .. .. .. ............... . 72
Pollen filter ... .. .. . .. .. ...... .. .. . 72
Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Clock ............ .. .. ... ........ .. . 11
Closing Eng ine compartment lid ........ .. .. 176
Clutch overheat ing .. ...... ........... 36
Cold tire inflation pressure .......... .. 193
coming home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Compass mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Compliance ... .... .. . .. .......... .. 212
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 105, 209
Contacting NHTSA ..... ............. 105
•
•
232 Index
Controls and displays ........... .... .. . 8
Convenience close/open feature .. .. ....
40
Convertible child safety seats .. .. ..... 144
Conve rtible locking retractor
Activating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
148
Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Using to secure a child safety seat l46, 148
Convertible top
Emergency operation .... .. .. .. .. .. . .
49
Error message ............ ... .... .. 47
General information ....... ..... .. . .
46
Indicator light ............ ... .... .. 16
Malfunction ............... .. .... .. 4 7
Opening/closing .......... .. .. .. .. ..
46
Retracting/ex tending rear window . .... 48
Wind deflector ............... .. ... . 48
Coolant system ..................... 181
Adding coolant ............. .. .... . 183
Checking the engine coolant level .....
182
Cruise control .............. ... .... .. 81
Changing speed .................... 81
Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
82
Driving in control mode .... .. .. .. .. . . 81
Switching off temporarily .. .. .. .. .. . . 82
Warning/indicator light .... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Cup holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Current fuel mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
D
Damping
refer to Audi magnetic ride ..... .. .... 82
Data . ... .. .. ................ ..... . 228
Data recorder ............. .. .. .... . 150
Date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Daytime running lights ....... ... .... .. 55
Declaration of compliance
Cell phone package ..... .. .. .. .. .. .
212
Electronic immobilize r ..... .. .. .. .. . 212
H omelink ® universal remote control .. 212
Remote control key ........ ... .... . 212
Tire pressure monitoring system . ... . 212
def . .. .. .. ............... .... .... .. 12
Defective light bulb wa rning . .. .. .... .. 35
Defrosting the windows ...............
75
Determining correct load limit ..... .. . 197
Digita l compass ........... .. .. .... .. 64
Dimensions ..... .. ............. .... 229
Dipst ick ... .... ... .. .............. . 180
Distance ..... .. .. .. ........... .... . 23
Doors Emergency locking ................ ..
42
Driver information ...... ........... .. 31
Driver informat ion system
Menu button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Open door or front lid warning ........ 20
Outside temperature display . . . . . . . . . . 20
Red symbols . .. .. .......... ...... .. 30
Serv ice interval display ......... .. .. .
21
Setting ... .... .. .. ........... .... . 25
Sound system display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20
Trip computer .... ............. ..... 22
Yellow symbo ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Driver seat
refer to Seating position . . . . . . . 100, 101
Driving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Driving through water .............. . 158
Dry sump lubrication .... ..... ... .. .. 157
Duplicate key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Dust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
E
Elapsed time .... .. ............. .... . 23
Electrical voltage .. ............. .... . 13
Electronic differential lock (EDL) ....... 150
Warning/indicator light ............ ..
18
Electronic immob ilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 38
Electronic power control ( EPC) . . . . . . . . . 15
Electronic Stabilization Program ....... 150
Electronic stabilization program (ESP)
Warning/indicator lights .............
16
Emergency flasher . ............. .... . 57
Warning/indicator lights ........ .. .. . 16
Emergency key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Emergency locking ........ ...... .. .. .
42
Emergency operation
Convertible top .. ... .......... .. .. .
49
Emergency release
Front lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Emergency starting ................ .
219
Emergency towing . ............... .. 222