2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER service

A WARNING
1
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploy ing when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpected ly:
- Never cover, obstr uct, o r change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instr ument pane l or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
s u rfaces covering the airbag units .
- For cleaning the ho rn pad or ins trumen t
pane l, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened w ith plain water . Solvents or
cl eaners cou ld damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repai r, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the stee ring wheel, instru­
ment pane l, front seats or electrical sys­
tem (including the installation of aud io
equipment, cellular telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technician who has the training
and special equipmen t necessa ry.
- For any work on the ai rbag system, we
st rongly recommend that you se e you r
au thori zed Aud i dealer o r qualified wo rk­
shop.
- Never mod ify the front bumper or parts
of the veh icle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag
can inflate witho ut interferen ce:
- Never insta ll seat covers or replace­
ment upho lstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been spec ifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use add itiona l seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags
inflate.
- Damage to the origina l seat covers or
to the seam in the area of the side air­ bag module must always be repa ired
A irbag system 13 1
immediately by an author ized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can be activate d only
once. After an airbag has inflated, it m ust be replaced by an authorized Aud i
dea ler or qualified technician who has
the technical info rmation , training and
special equipment necessary .
- The airbag system can be deployed only
once. After an airbag has been deployed,
it must be replaced with new replace­
men t pa rts designed and approved espe­
cially fo r you r A udi model versi on. Re­
placemen t of complete airbag systems
or airbag components must be pe r­
formed by qualified wo rkshops on ly .
Make sure that any airbag serv ice action
is entered in your Audi Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet under
AIRBAG REPLACE­
MENT RECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are sepa rated
from the veh icle battery with a pyrotech­
nic circuit inte rrupte r.
- Wor k on the pyrotechnic c ircui t inte r­
rupter m ust only be performed by a
qualified dea le r - risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter
is scrapped, a ll applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be cl assified as Perchlorate
Materia l - specia l hand ling may a pply, see
www .dtsc .ca. gov/hazard o u swaste/ per-
ch [orate. When the veh icle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety be lts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all app licab le laws and regu la­
tions must be obse rved. Your authorized
A udi dealer is familia r with these require­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer per form this service for you .
•
•
• •

132 Airbag system
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys ­
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the sp rings, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbe rs etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
sensors a nd sent to the electron ic control
un it. Some suspension changes ca n, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas­ ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic con trol module if the safety bel t is
latched or not .
If the safety belt is being used,
the front a irbag will deploy at a slightly high­
e r rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt i s not being used. Therefo re, i n a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an a irbag
will not deploy at a seati ng position where the
safety be lt is being used but will inflate at the
position where the safety belt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electron ic control unit .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
t ions can change Advan ced Airbag per­
formance and increase the risk of ser io us
personal in jury in a crash.
- Never install suspens io n components
that do not have the same performance
characteristics as the components origi ­
nally installed on your vehicle .
- Never use tire -rim combinat ions that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety be lt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from wo rking properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can inter­
fere wi th the safety belt buckles a nd that
they are not obstruc ted .
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ione rs might be classified as Perchlorate
Ma teria l - specia l hand ling may apply, see
www .d tsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­
ch lorate. W hen the vehicle or parts of t he
restraint system including airbag modu les
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicab le laws and regu la­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familia r with these require­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service fo r you.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occupants .
Fig. 1 26 D river 's ai rb ag
The airbag for the driver is Located in the in­
strument panel underneath the steering
whee l
c::> fig. 126, the airbag for the passenger
is at about the same height in the inst rument
panel underneath the g love compartment . ..,_

154 Intelligent technology
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving position . Do not
ride the brakes or hold the pedal down
too long or too often. This could cause
the brakes to get hot and diminish brak­ ing efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Cautiously apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few cau­
tious brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
braking capability, resulting in increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehi­
cle and have it towed to the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Power steering
When the engine is running , power steering
makes i t easier for the driver to steer.
Power steering helps the driver steer the vehi­
cle with little physical effort.
If the engine is not running, the power steer­
ing system is also not working . In this case ,
you will find it extremely difficult to turn the
steering wheel.
If you turn the steering fully to the left or
right when the vehicle is stationary, you place
a very heavy load on the power steering sys­
tem. Turning the steering wheel fully to the left or right will cause noise in the system. It
also reduces engine idle speed.
(D Note
Do not hold the steering turned fully to
the left or right for more than 10 seconds
when the engine is running . There is a risk
of damage to the power steering system .
(D Tips
-In the event of a power steering system
failure, or if the engine is not running
(while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle. However, you will re­
quire more effort to do so .
- If the power steering system has a leak
or is defective, you should immediately
contact a qualified workshop .
- The power steering system requires a
special hydraulic fluid. The power steer­
ing fluid reservoir is located in the en­
gine compartment. The correct hydraulic
fluid level is important for proper opera­
tion of the power steering system. The
power steering fluid level is checked ac­
cording to the Audi maintenance service
schedule.

-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
•
•

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 171
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec ­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed in ­
structions see ¢
page 173.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­ hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 228.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 170.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l­
ing vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fue l conta iners in yo ur car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collis ion. If you must
•
•

The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mi leage (kilometers) and
time interva ls specified in your vehicle's War­
ranty & Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine o il can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the lubricat­
ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oi l changed, ask your author­
i zed A udi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, ope ra te the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under s top-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when yo u use your vehicle whe re
temperatures stay below freezing point for
l ong periods.
D etergen t additives i n the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run ­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfunction s due t o lack of
m aintenance
It is essen tial that you change your oil at the
r ecommended inte rva ls using only engine o il
that complies with A udi oil standard
VW 502 00. Yo ur Limited New Vehicle War ­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
d ue to fai lure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use req uirements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manua l and Warranty&
Ma intenance book let . Your autho rized Aud i
deale r will have to deny warranty coverage un­
l ess you present to the dealer p roof in the
fo rm of Se rvice o r Repair Orde rs t hat all
sched uled main tenance w as performed in a
time ly manner .
Checkin g and fillin g 179
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts .
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l eng ine components, all in ­
te rnal combust io n engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumpt io n va ries from
engine to e ngine and may change sig nifican tly
ove r the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a spec ified break -in pe riod (see
c::> page 158) consume more oil d uri ng the
break-in pe riod than they consume afte r oi l
consumption has stabilized.
U nder normal cond itions, the rate of oi l con ­
s u mption depends on t he q uality and viscos ity
of the oil, the RP M (revolut ions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road conditions. Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilut ion from water
condensa tion or fue l residue a nd the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any eng ine is subject to
wear as m ileage builds up, t he oil co nsump­
t ion may increase over time until repla cement
of wo rn components may be come necessary.
Wi th a ll these va riab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumpt io n can be es­
t a bl is h ed o r spec ified . There is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent chec king of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note.
If the yellow engine o il level wa rning symbo l
i n the instrument cluster
1\11 lights up, yo u
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
c::> page 180 . Top off the oil at your ear liest
convenience
c::> page 180 .
A WARNING
-Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
c::> & in Working in the engine
compartment on pag e 175.
(D Note
Driving w ith an insufficient o il level is like-
-
ly to cause severe damage to the engine. .,.
•
•

182 Checking and filling
may seriously degrade the corros ion pro­
tection. The resu lting damage can cause
l oss of coo lant and subsequent ly lead to
se rious engine damage.
- The coolant additive
Gl2++ must not be
mixed w it h other coo lant add itives.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your ve hicle's engine coo lant.
Adding rad iator repair fluid may adve rse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Wa rranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
Proceed carefully when checking the coolant .
Fig. 145 Convert ible top: serv ice pos iti on
Fig. 146 Convert ible top storage bay: coo la n t expa n­
s ion tank
Before you check anything i n the eng ine com­
pa rtment,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:::> ,&. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 175.
T he coolant expa nsion tank is located i n the
r ight s ide of the co nvertib le top s to rage bay
under the ro und metal cover
c::>fig. 146. The
conver tible top must be in the servi ce position
to check the coolan t leve l
c:::> fig. 145 .
Bringing the closed convertible top into
the service position
.,. Switch t he ignition on.
.,. Pull and ho ld the convertib le top switch.
.,. Press and hold the rear window switc h too
until the convert ible top moves into the
service pos ition
c:::> fig. 145 .
Bringing th e open convertible to into the
service position
.,. Switch th e ignit ion on.
.,. Press and hold the convert ible top switch.
.,. Press and hold the rea r window switc h too
until t he convert ible top moves into the
service pos it ion
c:::> fig. 145.
Opening the coolant expansion tank cover
.,. Stop the engine a nd a llow it to cool.
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off .
.,. Carefully remove the bolts in the cover
(D
using a sc rewd river and remov e th e cover.
The coolan t rese rvo ir i s located be low
c:::> fig. 146 .
Checking the engine coolant level
.,. Place a rag or cloth on the cap of the coolant
e xpansion tank a nd turn the cap
carefully to
the left ( counte r-cloc kw ise)
c:::> .&_ .
.,. Read the coolan t leve l inside the coolan t ex ­
pa nsion tank
c:::> fig. 1 46. W it h a co ld eng ine,
it must be above the "min" mark . With a hot
engine, it can be a litt le above the indicated
range.
T o obtain an acc urate reading, the engine
must be sw itched off.
T he e xpansion ta nk in your vehicle is eq uipped
with an electr ic coo lant level senso r
c::> page 32. We s till rec om mend you check the
coolant leve l from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In t he eve nt of cool ant los s, the cool­
ing system should be inspec ted immedi ately
by your a uthorized Audi dea ler . I t is not
eno ugh mere ly to a dd coo lant .
ll-

184 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Notice
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enc ed technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moisture from t he a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is t oo
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
dec rease b rak ing performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y two y ear s. Always use new brake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standa rd "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
Brake fluid is rep laced according to the Audi
maintena nce service schedule . Your author­
ized Audi dealer is equipped with the necessa­
ry special tools and rep lacement parts , has
the necessary expe rtise, and c an d ispose of
the used fluid .
& WARNING
-Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be sto r­
ed on ly in the closed orig inal container
o ut o f the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap ­
propriate b rake fluid . Observe these pre­
caut ions:
- Use only bra ke fluid that meets SAE
specifi cation
J 1 703 and co nfo rms to
F ederal Motor Vehicle St andard 116 .
A lways check with you r a uthorized Aud i
dea ler to make s ure you are using the
correct brake fl uid. T he correct type of
brake fluid is a lso indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fl uid is left in the system too
long . This can ser ious ly affect the effi­
cie ncy of the bra kes as well as yo ur
safety. This could result in an acc ident .
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of you r
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of p rope r disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
recommend that yo u have the brake fl uid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
All work on the battery requires technical
knowledge.
The battery is located behind the cover i n the
l uggage compa rtme nt. Remove the cover by
pushing it to the left and lift ing it o ut.
The battery is practically maintenance-free
and is checked as pa rt of your ve hicle's main­
tenance se rv ices .
You are we ll advised to replace a battery that
is older than S years .
Disconnecting the battery terminal s
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery te r­
mina ls are disconnected . T hese functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected again . To prevent th is, the battery
shou ld only be disco nnected from the ve hicle
electrica l system when abso lutely necessary
f o r repai rs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
The battery becomes d ischarged due to quies­
cent current consume rs even when the vehicle
i s not used . With extended pe riods of non-use
i n the
cold season, you should have the ve hi­
cl e battery removed by an autho rized Aud i
de aler or qu alified workshop and stored in an
frost -free place. This preven ts the battery
from "freezing" and thereby being dest royed.
D uring the
warmer seasons it is eno ugh to liJ>