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.
•
•
-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,-
•
•
162 Cleaning and protection
Hand washing
When washing your vehicle by hand, first soft
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and
rinse it
off as best you can.
Then clean the vehicle using a soft
sponge, an
auto glove or a low-pressure wash brush.
Work from the top down to the bottom, start
ing with the convertible top
¢ page 163. Use
a
shampoo only for v ery stubborn dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thoroughly at
frequent intervals.
Clean the wheels, door sills and similar areas last. Use a separate sponge for this.
_& WARNING
-Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires, which could cause the tire to lose pressure suddenly while driv
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignition when you wash
your vehicle to avoid an accident.
- Protect your hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under
body, the inside of the wheel wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself.
- When washing your vehicle in the winter :
Moisture and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream . This could cause
invisible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative
ly long distance and for a short time .
Damaged and weakened tires can fail
and cause accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never drive your vehicle through any au
tomatic car wash that fails to provide ei
ther sufficient clearance for your vehicle
or sufficient track width for your tires. Risk of expensive damage to the vehicle's
underbody , tires, and rims!
- As described in your Warranty
& Mainte
nance booklet, damage or malfunction due to misuse of the vehicle or failure to
operate the vehicle in accordance with
the
instructions of this Owner's Manual
will not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exterior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors .
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun
light. You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough kitchen sponges, or simi
lar products. You risk damaging the
paint surface.
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head
lights with a dry cloth or sponge . Use a
wet cloth or sponge .
It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean tires using a nozzle that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
time.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis
tance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for
a long time. This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the material.
- Never clean the convertible top using a
power washer.
@) For the sake of the environment
Wash your vehicle only at specially de
signed facilities. They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per
mitted.
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To he lp prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di
rection -pus hing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
Weatherstrips
To seal properly, the weatherstrips around the
front lid, doors, eng ine compartment lid, etc .
must remain pliable . Spray the weatherstrips
with silicone or coat them with talcum pow
de r or glyce rine to retain the flexibility of t he
r u bber and to protect them against free zing
in the winte r.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 161.
@ Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windsh ield to
avoid wiper smear in rain.
Wheels
Regular care is required to preserve the deco
rative appearance of the wheels . Road sa lt
and brake dust must be washed off regularly
or the wheels w ill be damaged .
Use only special acid-free cleaning agents. Yo u
can find proper wheel cleaner at authorized
Aud i dea lers and specialty stores. Do not leave
the cleaner on the wheels longer than speci
fied. Wheel cleaners containing acid can dam
age the surface of the wheel bolts .
Paint polish or other abras ive materials must
not be used when caring for wheels. If the
protective coating has been damaged, from
stones for example, touch up the damage as
soon as possible .
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency-
¢page 153, Braking.
-
Cleaning and protec tion 165
Test the brakes carefully after each vehi
cle wash.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c:;, page 161.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials wi ll
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
ch rome polish or other ab ras ive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car ca re p roducts
that are suitable fo r sta inless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean
ing products that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
· Radio and navigation display
The display may be cleaned with a soft cloth
and commercially-ava ilable "LCD cleaner".
The cloth should be coated lightly when the clean ing solution when cleaning the display .
(D Note
To prevent scratches, only clean the dis
play when it is dry.
Plastic parts and imitation leather
You can clean p lastic parts and imitation
leather with a damp cloth. If this does not re
move the d irt, you can t reat these parts only
with special
so lvent-fr ee pl astic cl eaning and
care produ ct s.
A WARNING
""' ~
Solvents can change the properties of
some p lastics and make it harder for the
a irbag to deploy.
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of Airbag modu les with cleaning
products that conta in solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part poro us.
•
•
Checking and filling Engine compartment
lid
Relea sing the engine compartment lid
The engi ne compartment lid is released from
inside the vehicle.
F ig . 139 Dr ive r's side: releasing the engine compart
ment lid
Requi rement: The ignition must be switched
on.
• Make sure the rear spoiler is retracted
9page 152.
• Pull the@ button. The engine compart
ment lid opens slightly.
• Open the engine compartment lid
9 .&,.
_& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To redu ce the r isk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment . Wait un
ti l no steam or coolant can be seen or
heard before carefully opening the en
gine compartment lid .
(D Note
To prevent damage to t he vehicle, only
open the engine compartment lid when
the convertib le top storage bay lid is
closed.
Checkin g and fillin g 175
@ Tips
An emergency release can be used if the
engine compartment lid cannot be re- l eased with the button @
i:> page 177.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling the d ifferent flu ids, there is a risk
of in jury, burns and accidents . To prevent per
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS . The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area'
i:> A .
_& WARNING ,.;;
To help avoid injury, before you check any
thing under the engine compa rtment lid:
- Sw itch off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); p ut manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coo lant escaping
from the eng ine compartment. Wa it un
til no steam or coolant can be seen or
hea rd before carefully opening the en
gine compa rtment lid.
- Keep ch ild ren away from the engine com
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids o n hot engine compo
nents. T hey can cause a fi re .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant cou ld spray o ut.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot e ngine coolant by plac ing a ""
224 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse panel@
Consumer
Automatically dimming in-
side mirror, ga rage door
8 opener (Homel ink), washer
pump relay, power outlets
relay
10
~ button
11 Pressure sensor, climate
controls
12 Airbag
Fuse panel @
No . II Consumer
1 Radiator fan (1)
2 Radia tor fan (2)
3 Exterior lighting
4 Exterior lighting
6 Blower regulator
Fuse panel @
No . II Consumer
1 Rear view camera
2
Tire pressure monitoring
system
4
Cell phone package, te le-
phone antenna amplifier
5 Instrument cluster
6 Networking gateway
7 Steering column lever
8
Diagnostic interface, brake
pedal switch, selector lever
9 Rain/light sensor
10 Light switch
11 Special functions control
module
15 Sound amplifier
Radio
Fuse panel E
No. Consumer
3 Auxiliary water pump
5 Supply terminal 15, starter
Amps
10
10 5
5
II Amps
40 40
40
40
40
II Amps
5
10
7.5 5
5
5
10 5
5
5
30
20
Amps
10
30
Fuse panel @
No. Consumer
6 Pump for brake booster
7 Horn
8 Wiper motor
9 Wiper motor
10 Headlight washer system
12 Power outlets and cigarette
lighter
Fuse panel
®
No. !!Consumer
1
2
4
6
7
8
~~·
E lectronic Stabilization Pro
gram
Electronic Stabilization Pro
gram
Rear window defogger
Power locking system
Interior lights, washer noz
zles
Anti-theft alarm sys tem
Climate controls
Heated seats
Lumbar support
11 Control module for doors
12 Control module for doors
Bulbs
Note
Amps
15
20
30
30
30
20
ll Amps ,
10
25
30
20
20
5
10
25 10
30 10
Your vehicle is equipped with maintenance
free headlights and rear lights. However, if a
bulb has to be changed, please consult your
authorized Aud i dealer or other qualified
workshop .
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