2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER ignition

160 Driving and en vi ro nment
recommendations in your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet . Lack of proper
maintenance as well as improper use of
the veh icle w ill impair the funct ion of
the emission control system and could
l ead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Em ission Contro l System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, wh ich are designed to protect
you r vehicle's Emiss ion Control System
and othe r important veh icle compo­
nen ts.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as publish ed
by the ENVIRONM EN TAL PRO TECTIO N
AG ENCY ( EPA) and Transpor t Canada may
no t correspond to yo ur actua l cons ump­
tion on the road, which will vary depend ­
ing upon vehicle load and speed, road and
weather conditions, trip length, etc.
Trailer towing
Your Audi RB is not designed to tow a trailer.
Towing a trai le r with yo ur Audi R8 is not rec­
ommended and ca n cause damage to the vehi­
cle . Damage caused by towing a tra iler is not
covered under warranty .

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.

~ For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
u tion . Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
~ Do not allow inertia reel safety be lts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
~ Check the condition of your safety belts reg­
ularly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
<=? page 161.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Corrosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particularly in the winter. If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if
l) Use only the correc t cleaning sol utio ns. Never use gas­
oline or diesel fuel.
Cleaning and protection 169
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is almost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
<=? page 175.
-Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, always remove the ignition key.
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could unintentionally be switched on,
possibly causing persona l injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly -even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with
the engine running. Moving or hot parts
could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protecting your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
<=?page 161.
•
•

17 2 Fuel supply and filling your fuel t ank
transport fue l to use for yo ur lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers . Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (A NSI/
AS TM F852 - 86) .
(D Note
Never d rive yo ur vehicle unti l the fuel ta nk
is completely d ry. The irreg ular s upply of
fuel can ca use misfir ing. Gasoline cou ld
e nte r into t he exhaust system and damage
t he cata lytic conve rter.
Refueling
F ig . 135 D rive r's doo r: U nlo cki ng fuel f iller flap
Fig. 136 Fu el cap hooke d on th e opened fuel filler flap
When adding fue l, the ignition and any ce llu­
lar phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off .
Tak ing the fuel cap off
• To open the fuel filler flap, press the button
r:> fig. 135.
• Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filter flap ¢
fig. 136 .
Refueling procedure
• Insert the fuel no zzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fi ller neck as far as it wi ll
go .
• Select a med ium refue ling rate so that the
no zz le sw itches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
• After f illing your tank, twist the fuel filter
cap clockw ise until you hear a definite click.
• Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel s pill ing or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filter cap properly and completely . An improperly closed fuel fi ll­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 21
to come on.
A WARNING
Imp roper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, e xplosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies .
- Fai lure to shut the e ngine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fu lly into the fuel filter neck could ca use
fue l to spray out of filler n eck or to ove r­
f low. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a ce llu lar telephone whil e re­
fue ling . Th e e lec tromag net ic radiat io n
can cause sp arks th at can igni te fuel v a­
pors an d cause a fire.
- N ever get back in to yo ur vehicle whi le re­
f u e ling.
If in excep tio nal cir cumstan ces
you mus t get b ack in your ve hicl e while
ref ueling, make ce rtain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity be fore touching the fill­
er nozzle again . Static e lectr icity can
cause sparks t hat can ignite fuel vapors
re leased d uring refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any­
where in o r near your ve hicle when refu­
eling or fi lling a portable fue l conta iner .

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 ""

176 Checking and filling
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
-If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­ partment could start a fire .
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im ­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get ­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will
hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
.&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­ cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
@ Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine compartment lid
... Make sure that the rear spoiler is retracted
~page 152.
""Pull the engine compartment lid down until
the pressure from the struts is reduced.
.., Press the engine compartment lid closed
c::>& .
A WARNING ,_
A engine compartment lid that is not com­
pletely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
- When you close the engine compartment lid, check it to make sure the safety catch
has properly engaged . The engine com­
partment lid should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driving that the en ­
gine compartment lid is not secured properly, stop at once and close it.

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-

disconnect the battery negative terminal. Oc­
casionally charge a disconnected battery.
Winter operation
The cold time of year places a special strain on
the battery, resulting in reduced starting pow­
er. So before the cold weather starts, have the battery inspected and charged as necessary.
A WARNING
- All work on the battery requires technical
knowledge. Please contact an authorized
Audi dealer or another authorized facility
for questions about the battery - danger of acid burns and explosion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
Working on the battery
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric
acid. Always wear gloves and eye
protection.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it pro­
duces hydrogen gas which is ex­ plosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out
of reach of children.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-
Checking and filling 185
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
medical attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg- ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected.
If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm. •
•