2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER maintenance

Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Ill ustrating the princ iple of an
accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
H ow are safety belts worn correctly? 112
Safety belt pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 115
Airbag system ........ .... ... .. 117
Important th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 117
F ront airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
M oni toring the Advanced Airbag
Sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Knee air bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Child Safety ............. .. .. . .
Important things to know . ... .. .. . .
C hild safety seats . ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Instal ling a child safety seat . ... .. . .
Addit ional Information ........... .
Vehicle operat ion ..... .. .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
Not ice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules .......... .... .. . .
Electronic Stabilization Program ( ESP)
Rear spoiler .................... .
Braking .. .. .. ... ....... .... ... . .
P owe r stee ring .................. .
Driving w ith your qu attro ® ... .. .. . .
E ne rgy management ... ... .. .. .. . .
D ry s ump lubr ication ... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving and environment .... .
Break -in period . .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving through water on roads ... . .
Cata lytic converter ............ .. . .
Sporty driving . ........... .. .. .. . .
Operation and maintenance .. .. .. . .
Trailer towing ................... .
Vehicle care .................. .
Cleaning and protection ..... .
General information ...... .. .. .. . . 138
13
8
143
1 4 6
149
150
150
150
150
152
153
154
155
1 5 5
157
158 158
158
158
159
159 160
161
161
16 1
Ca re of exte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1
Ca re of inter io r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Table of contents 3
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .
170
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Checking and filling ..... ... .. .
Engine compartment lid .......... .
Engine oil ... .. .. .. . ............ .
E n gine cooling system ............ .
Brake fluid .. .. .. .. . .. .... ...... .
Battery ......... .. ............. .
Rep lacing the battery ............ .
Windsh ie ld washer container
Tires and wheels ... ..... ... .. .
175
175
178
181
184
184
18 7
188
189
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
T ire pressure mo nitoring system
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .............. .
Operating your veh icle outs ide the
U .S .A . or Canada ... . .. .. ..... ... .
A udi Se rvice Repair Manuals and
Literature . .. .. .. .... ........... .
Maintenance . .. .. .. ............. .
Additional accessories, modif ications
and parts rep lacement ........... .
Decla rat io n of Compliance,
T elecommunication or Electron ic
Systems .. .. .. .. .. ............. .
Do-it-yourself service ........ .
What do I do now? ........... .
Tru nk escape handle ........... .. .
B reakdown kit ... .. . .. ... .... ... .
Tire repa ir ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
What shou ld I be awa re of when
h . t
' ? c anging a ,re. . . ............... .
Jump-starting .. ...... ........... .
Emergency towing with commercial
tow truck ....... .. ............. .
Fuses and bulbs .............. .
Electr ica l fuses .... .............. .
Bu lbs ... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ...... . 206
209
2
09
209
209
209
211
2 12
213
213
2 13
213
213
216
219
222
223
223
224
•
•

In addition to t his Owner's Ma nual, your A udi
comes w ith a Warranty & Maintena nce book ­
l et.
Mor eover , d ep en ding on the mode l and t he
e quip ment, there may be additiona l ins truc ­
tion boo klets delivered w ith your vehicle (for
e x amp le, Ope rat ing Instr uctions fo r yo ur
Sound System, Navigation System etc .).
If yo u are m iss ing one of these p ublicat ions,
or if you believe that the inf ormation is not
comp lete, contact you r auth orized Audi dea le r
for assistance.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how yo u ca n kee p your A udi in top
d riving condition by hav ing it serviced regular ­
l y and conta ins deta iled info rmat ion about
the wa rranties covering your Aud i. Always
h ave the book let with yo u when yo u take your
ve hicle to an auth orized Audi dealer for serv­
i ce . Y our Aud i Service Adviser w ill reco rd each
sche duled servic e and can answer any ques­
tions you may have r ega rding how to ma intain
your ve hicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle lite ratu re is also avai lab le in
Fr ench . T o obtai n a co py, c ontact your dea ler
or w rit e to :
Au Canada, on peut se procure r un e xempla ire
e n fran~ais de ce doc ument aupres du conces ­
sionna ire ou de :
Volkswagen Canada, Inc.
Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clientele
7 7 7 Bayly Str eet, West,
A jax, On tario LIS 7G 7
If you sell your Audi
all literature should be left in the veh icle to
make the Warranty terms as we ll as a ll oper­
ating, safety and ma intenance information
ava ilab le to the ne xt ow ne r.
Vehicle literature 5
If you change your address or if you
bought this Audi used
b e s ure to send in a "Notice of Addr ess
Change"/ " Notice of Used Car Purchase" post
ca rd. T his card can be fo und in the War ranty&
M aint enance booklet or obtained from your
a utho rized Aud i dea le r.
It is in your own interest that we are able to
contact you should the need arise .
•
•

46 Convertible top
Convertible top
Convertible top
General information
The fabric convertible top opens and closes
automatically. When it is open, it is stored in
the convertible top storage bay. The converti­
ble top may be opened or closed at speeds up
to 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The convertible top is wind- and waterproof
under normal conditions . Some moisture may
collect in the vehicle interior , but only under
extremely adverse weather conditions such as
torrential rain. That is normal and no cause
for concern.
Follow the cleaning and maintenance instruc­
tions
~ page 163 to ensure the convertible
top remains wind- and waterproof. Also note
the following points:
- Only stow the convertible top when it is
clean and dry . Grains of sand or coarse dirt
particles can cause abrasions on the conver­
tible top when stowed that can lead to dam­
age to the fabric over time. Stowing the con­
vertible top when it is damp can cause
marks or permanent mildew spots to form .
- Do not leave the convertible top open for
several weeks or the creases in it may be ­
come discolored . This is especially true if the
top was stowed when damp .
- Remove ice and snow before opening the
convertible top . Do not use any sharp edged
objects to remove ice and snow or the con­
vertible top could be scratched or damaged.
The rear window may be cleared with a
standard ice scraper.
- The fabric in the convertible top loses elas­
ticity in sub-zero temperatures. We recom­
mend not opening or closing the convertible
top when the temperature is below 32 °F (0 QC). The convertible top will not open
when the temperature is 5 °F (-15 QC) or be­
low.
Opening and closing the convertible top
Fig. 43 Center co nsole : convertible top sw itc h
Requirement: the front lid must be closed and
the ignition must be switched on.
Opening the convertible top
.. Pull and hold the convertib le top switch un­
til the top is stowed in the bay and the cover
on the bay has closed completely.
Opening the convertible top using the
one-touch function
.. Pull the switch briefly to open the converti­
ble top completely . It is not necessary to
hold the switch. The one-touch function is
only available at speeds between 4 and
31 mph (6 and SO km/h) .
Closing the convertible top
.. Press and hold the switch until the converti-
ble top is closed and the latch is locked.
The indicator light
Min the instrument clus ­
ter goes out when the top is completely open
or closed.
The side windows automatical ly lower slightly
during the opening/closing process.
A WARNING ~
- Never drive when the convertible top is
not locked correctly. The wind generated
by driving could cause itto open, which
could injure vehicle occupants or damage
the vehicle.
- Make sure no one will be injured by the
convertible top supports and other mov­ ing objects on the vehicle when opening
and clos ing the top .
liJI,

Functions are set by turning the rotary knob
or switched on and
off by tapping the buttons.
T he LED in the buttons illuminates when the
function is active.
Button(s) Meaning Page
Rotary knob Temperature
i::>page 73
CD selection
Switch air con-
Rotary knob ditioning on/
i::>poge 74
@ ~ off
Fan
Rotary knob Air distribu-
i::> page 74
® tion
~ Defrost i::>poge 75
~
Rear window i::>page 76
defogger
Heated seat
I-.1 + I driver/passen-i::>poge 76
ger side
Recirculation
i::> page 75
Switch on
! AC!
I
cooling sys-i::> page 75
tern
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter (particle filter) ensures
that contaminants in the outside air (such as
dust or pollen) are greatly reduced or stop­
ped. The air is also filtered in recirculation
mode.
The pollutant filter element must be changed according to the intervals specified in the maintenance schedule so that the air condi­
tioning system's performance is not adversely
affected.
If the filter 's effectiveness is weakened by
driving the vehicle in areas with heavily pollut­
ed outside air, the filter element should also
be changed between the listed services.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged
and to restore the balance of energy, compo­
nents which require large amounts of energy
are temporarily cut back or switched
off
Warm and cold 73
i::> page 155. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice, for
example, that the rear window heater is not
heating, then it has been temporarily cut back
or switched
off by energy management.
These systems are available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored .
A WARNING
For safety reasons, it is important that all
windows are free of ice , snow, and conden­
sation . Only then is good visibility ensured.
Please familiarize yourself with the correct
operation of the air conditioning and how
to dehumidify/defrost the windows.
(D Note
- If you suspect that the climate controls
have been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid damaging it , and have it in­
spected by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Audi climate control system repairs re­ quire special expertise and the proper
tools. You should contact an authorized
Audi dealer in the event of malfunctions.
(D Tips
-To avoid adversely affecting heating and
cooling performance and to prevent con­
densation on the windows, the air intake
in front of the windshield must be free of
ice, snow, and leaves.
- Climate control works most effectively if
the windows are closed. However, if the
interior of a parked vehicle is extremely
hot from the sun's rays, briefly opening
the windows can speed up the cooling
process.
Setting temperature
.,. Turn the rotary knob CD c:> page 72, fig. 82
to the desired temperature setting.
To set a lower temperature, turn the rotary
knob to the left. To set a higher temperature,
turn the rotary knob to the right. There are .,..

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
•
•

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 .

178 Checking and filling
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. This engine needs the right kind of
engine o il that meets spec ificat ions regarding
qua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the righ t oi l
and changing oil w ith in the time a nd mileage
interva ls printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance book let matters a lot more to ­
day than it did yea rs ago. A udi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
b rication that can outlast traditiona l petrole ­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of you r A udi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­ based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil qual ity standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your veh icle 's eng ine
r unning smoo thly and help prevent t he fo r­
ma tion of harmfu l deposi ts, some times called
"s ludge," that over t ime can lead to expensive
repairs.
A t the time of pr intin g, engine o ils availab le in
the U .S . and Canad a that meet the exact ing
specifications o f A udi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils . This does not mean,
however, that eve ry synthetic engine oil wi ll
meet A udi oil standard VW 502 00. So a lways
be sure that you use an approved o il.
To help preve nt the formation of harmful de ­
posits use only oi l with the fo llow ing spec ifi ­
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may car ry the specifica ­
tion sing ly or in combination with othe r desig ­
nations and oil quality standa rds .
Viscosity
Engine o ils are graded accord ing to their vis­
cosity . Th e pr oper viscos ity grade oil fo r you r
engine de pends on clim actic o r seaso nal con­
di tions where yo u drive. You can use o il wit h a
viscosity grade o f SAE SW40 across all tem ­
perature ranges for norma l driving conditions.
However, if engine oil visco sity g rade SA E
SW40 is not ava ilable, you can a lso use v iscos­
ity grade SA E SW -30 or SA E OW -40 as long as
it meets Audi oil q ua lity standard VW 502 00
specificat ions.
Beca use engine o il that mee ts the Audi o il
standard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
t h at you a lways carry with you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to
top off the oil while on the road .
Only if the level of the oil is at or be low the
min imum ma rk on the o il dipstick - and n o oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi o il standard
VW 502 00 specifications is availab le -may
yo u top off with a high quali ty engine o il, p ref­
erably synthet ic-based, that me ets ACEA A3,
AC EA AS o r AC EA B S or A PI SL spec ifi cat io ns,
but even t hen, only in v iscosi ty g rades SA E
SW -40, SA E SW-3 0, or SAE OW-40 . However,
during the entire time between oi l change in ­
te rva ls , never top
off with more than a tota l
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not con­
form to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
F or more information abo ut engine oi l that
has been approved for your ve hicle, please
contact e ither yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler or
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or v is it our web site at www.audiusa.com or
www .aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
c ur rent l ist of oils (manufacturers, bra nd
names etc.) that conform to Aud i oil standa rd
vw 50 2 00.
Changing the engine oil