12 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
If the needle is well on the right side of the
gauge, the coolant temperature is too high .
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
allow it to cool.
If the warning light comes on
again after driving a short distance, contact
an author ized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
-Always observe the warni ng in
¢ page 175, Working in the engine
compartment before opening the engine
compartment lid an d checking the en
gine coo lant level.
- Never open the engine compartment lid
if yo u see or hear steam, or if you see e n
gine coolant dripping from the engine
compartment . You could burn yourse lf.
Let the engine coo l off first so that you
cannot hear or see any steam or engine
coolant.
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the air inlets red uces the cool
i ng effect of the radiator. At h igh outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat .
- The front spo iler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, th is could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over
heat. Ask you r autho rized Aud i dealer for
ass istan ce.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge works only when the ignition is
on. When the needle reaches the red area, the
warn ing light in the instrument cluster will il
lum inate
c> page 33 (il This means you
have approximately 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of
fuel left in the tank .
Time to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed
in
Technical data ¢ page 228.
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry! An ir
regular supply of fuel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex
haust system . The catalytic converter
could then overheat and be damaged.
· Speedometer with odometer
The speedome ter shows you the vehicle
speed, and the odometer shows you how
many miles (kilometers) you have driven .
Fig. S Speedometer close -up: odome ter d isplay
The distance driven is shown in m iles (USA
models) or in kilometers (Canada mode ls).
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) dr iven .
Upper odometer (trip odometer)
The upper odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) dr iven since you last re
set the odometer back to zero . You can use
th is odometer when you want to keep track of
how many m iles (kilometers) yo u have driven
for a single trip or errand. The last dig it ind i
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters) . Yo u can se t
the trip odometer back to zero by pressing the
I RESE T! button ¢ fig . 5 .
With the ign ition off, pushing of the Set/
Check button ¢ page 10, fig. 3 @ can turn on
the display field lighting for a few seconds.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunct ion somewhere in the in-
strument cluster,
dEF will appea r in the trip .,.
-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
•
•
196 Tires and wheels
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin flation can also lead to sudden tire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle .
The applicable pressure values are locat
ed on a sticker on the driver's side 8-pil
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres
sure monitoring system can work cor
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire pressure monitor
ing system .
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off .
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires will wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not handle well. -
If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta
tion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required .
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fuel consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control,
but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle . These
load limits are technically referred to as the
vehicle 's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve-
hicle. ..,_
Dimensions
!Length (with license plate bracket)
Width
Width (across mirrors)
Height (unloaded)
T urning circle diameter (curb to curb) R8 Sp
yd er 4. 2
quattro
4434 mm (ap prox. 174.6 in)
1904 mm (approx . 75 .0
in)
2029 mm (ap prox. 80.0 in)
1244 mm (ap
prox. 49.3 in)
11.80
m (ap
prox. 3 8. 7
ft)
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads,
over curbs, etc. it is important to remembe r
that some parts of your vehicle, such as spoil
ers or exhaust system components, may be
close to the ground . Be careful not to damage
them.
This applies especially to vehicles with a low chassis (sports chassis) and when the vehicle
is fully loaded .
Capacities (approx.)
Fuel tank
R8 R8
Spyder Spyder
4 .2 5.2
quattro quat -
tro
Total capacity gal/ 21.1/8 21.1/8
liters 0 0
Reserve (of total gal/ 2.6/10 2 .6/10
capacity) liters
Windshield wa she r sys tem
Windsh ield wash- quarts approx. 4.2/4.0
er fluid /liters
D ata 229
R8 Spyder 5.2
qu attro
4434 mm (ap prox. 174.6 in)
1904 mm (approx. 75.0 in)
2029 mm (approx. 79.9 in)
1
1244 mm (approx. 49.0 in)
11.80 m (approx. 38. 7
ft)
•
•
Energy management .... ... .. .. .. .. . 155
Battery power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Driver notification ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 156
E ng ine
Coolan t .......................... 181
E ng ine compartment lid ... .. .. .. .. . 175
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77, 78
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
E ng ine compartmen t ................ 177
Safety ins truc tions ........ .. .. .. .. . 17 5
Eng ine compartment lid
C losing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
Eng ine coolant system ............... 181
Malfunct io n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
T emperature gauge ................. 11
Engine data .. .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 228
E ng ine oi l ... ............. .... .. ... 178
Adding .. .. ............. .. .. .. ... 180
Addit ives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Chec king the engine oi l level . ... .. .. . 180
D ry s ump lubrication ... ... .. .. .. .. . 157
Indications and cond it ions requ iring ex-
tra check ing ............. .... .. ... 180
Level ............................. 33
O il consumption ................. .. 179
O il grades .. ... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 178
Sensor defective .................... 33
Specification and viscos ity .. .. .. .. .. . 178
Tempe ra tu re d isp lay ................ 10
Eng ine oil pressure
Malfunct io n ... ........... ...... ... 33
Eng ine speed limitat ion .. ... .. .. .... .. 36
E nvi ro nment
Ca tal ytic conve rter ........ .. .. .. .. . 158
Fu el . .... .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 172
Un leaded fu el .... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 170
E PC
refer to E lectronic powe r control ( EPC) . 15
ESP
refer to Electronic Stabilizat io n Pro-
g ram .. .. .. .. ........ ..... ... ... . 150
refer to Electronic stab ilization p rogram
( E SP) ............................. 16
Event Data Recorder (EDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
E xhaust tail pipes
C lea ning ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 165
Inde x 233
Expansion tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
F
Fan ................................ 74
Fastening Boos ter seats .. .. .. . .. .... ...... . .
Co nvertib le child safety seats ....... .
Infan t seats . .. .. ................ .
Flat bed truck
Flat tire 145
144
1
4 3
222
Changi ng ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 216
Floor mats ...... .. .. ..... .......... 104
Fo ld ing top
Care and cleaning . .... ............. 163
Foot peda ls ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 104
Fo r the sake of the envi ronment
Gasoline fumes and t he env ironme nt .. 172
L etting your eng ine w arm up ......... 78
Ref ueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Front a irbags
Desc ription . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
How they wor k ... .... ......... .. .. 126
Frontal coll is io ns and the laws of p hys ics 111
Fron t lid
Emergency re lease . .. .. .. ..... ... .. . 43
li ght . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Power locking system .......... .. .. . 42
Tr unk escape handle ............... 213
Front passenger
refer to Seating position . . . . . . . 100, 101
Fron t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Child res traints in the fro nt sea t ...... 119
Front towing loop .. .. ........... .... 222
Fuel Additives . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 170
B lended gaso line ... .. ... ..... ... .. 170
C ur rent fuel mileage ................ 23
Filler neck ... .. ...... ............. 171
Fuel supply too low . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Gasoline add it ives .. .............. . 171
Octane rat ing .. ... ........... .... . 170
Recommendat ion . ............. .... 170
Ref ueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Rese rve ... .. .. .. ... ............ .. . 12
Tank capacity ....... .. .. ..... ... .. 228
U nl ocking the fuel fi lle r flap by hand .. 173
•
•