2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER tires

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
•
•

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 15
Canada mod els :
Safety systems
¢page 17
Generator
¢page 17
Safety be lt
¢page 17
USA model s:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢page 17
Canada model s:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢ page 17
USA models:
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
Canada mod els:
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
& WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age.
- Whenever sta lled or stopped for repa ir,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher ¢
page 5 7.
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down . Always exercise extreme ca u­
t io n when wor king under the engine
c ompartment l id ¢
page 175, Working
in the engine compartment .
(D Tips
-When a yellow warn ing symbol appears,
one war ning tone sounds. Che ck the
f unct ion disp laye d a s soon as poss ible.
- When a red symbol appears,
three warn­
i ng tones so und in a row. The symbo l cont
in ues to flash until the fault has
been corrected.
; Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The ind icator light E illuminates when the ig­
ni tion is switched on as a func tion check .
@ Tips
If the indicato r la mp illuminates wh ile you
a re driving, the re is a malfunction in the
vehicle damping. The ch assis should be in­
spected immed iate ly by an authori zed Au­
di dealer.
ill Tire pressure monitoring system
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h tire p ressu re mo nito ring system
Tire pressure that is too low must be correct ­
ed as soon as possible.
T he wa rning/indicator lig ht RI] ill umi nates for
a few seconds after the ignition is tur ned on
a5 a function check. If the [D] warning light
comes on, pressure in at least one tire is too
l ow.
.,. Stop d riving as soon as possib le w ithout en­
danger ing yourself and other drivers on the
road.
.. Inspect all tires.
.. Correct the tire pressure¢
page 195.
Additional in format ion about the tire pr es­
s ure monitoring system
can be found
¢ page 207 .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
T he warni ng/indicator light ( Electronic Power
Control) ~ illuminates when you switch on
the ignition as a functio n check.
Iii>

each other and that have somewhat different purposes:
Speed warning 1 [i;[i ( Canada models )
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi­
mum speed wh ile you are driv ing . T his se tting
will remain in effect until you t urn off the igni­
tion, assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting .
The speed warning symbo l
[&1/lDl (Ca nada
models) in the warn ing 1 display appea rs
when you exceed the maximum speed. It goes
out when the speed falls be low the stored
maximum speed.
The speed warning symbo l wi ll also go out if
the speed
exceeds the stored maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is deleted .
Setting speed warning 1
r=;, page 29 .
Speed warning 2 EDJ/[al (Canada models )
Storing warning 2 is recommended if you al­
ways
want to be reminded of a certa in speed,
for example when yo u are traveling in a coun­
try that has a general maximum speed limit,
or if you do not want to exceed a spec ified
speed for winter tires.
The speed warning 2 symbol,
[il 1ra1 (Can ada
models) appears in the display when you ex­
ceed the stored speed limit . Unlike warning 1,
it will not go out until the vehicle speed drops
be low the stored speed limit.
Sett ing speed warning 2
r=;, page 29.
(1') Tips
Even though you r vehicle is equipped with
a speed warning sys tem, you should s till
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not driving faster than the speed limit.
Dr iver in formation system 29
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the button.
Fig. 26 Sect ion of instrument cluster: Set/Check but ·
ton
Storing the ma ximum spee d
.,. Drive at the desired maximum speed.
.,. Press the knob button
c::> fig. 26 until the
symbol
r=;, page 28, fig. 25 appears.
Resett ing th e ma ximum sp eed
.,. Dr ive the veh icle at a speed of at least
3 mph (5 km/h)
.,. Press the knob for more than 2 seconds.
T he speed warn ing symbol
lllH (USA models)/
Hll display when you release the button to indi­
cate that the maximum speed has been stored
successfully. The maximum speed remains
stored until it is changed by pressing the but­
ton again briefly or unt il it is deleted by a
lengthy push on the button .
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Switches in the wiper arm are used to operate
warning threshold
2.
'----1 @
Fig. 27 Controls

34 Driver in formation system
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary .
8 /8 Speed warning 1
If the (a) symbol illuminates, th is means you
are driving faster than the set veh icle speed .
Slow down!
r=;, page 28.
8 , /8 , Speed warning 2
If the jaj c;ymbol illuminates, this mea ns you
have driven faster than the second set vehicle
speed. Slow down!<=:>
page 28 .
(l) Significant loss of air pre ssure
Tire pressure that is too low must be correct ­
ed as soon as possible .
If the [I) warning ligh t comes on and the
message
Pl ea se che ck tir e pr ess ure appears
in the display, pressure in at least one tire is
too low .
• Stop dr iv ing as soon as possible withou t en­
dange ring yourse lf and other drivers on the
road.
• Inspect all tires.
• Correct the tire pressure
r=;, page 195 .
Additional info rmat ion abou t the tire pre s­
s ure monitoring sy stem
can be found:
<=:> page 207.
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring system
malfunction
A malfunction can have various causes .
If the II] warn ing light in the instrumen t clus­
ter flashes for approximately one minute and
then remains continuously illuminated and
addit ionally the
11@18' symbo l appears in the
d isplay, the t ire pressure monitoring system is
not available . The text
Tire pre ssure! System
ma lfun ction
appears in the disp lay . This can
have va rious causes . -
A whee l sensor or other component may
have fai led .
- Dur ing initialization the sys tem has detect ­
ed more than 4 wheels on the vehicle , for
examp le w hile d riving next to another car
w ith a t ire pressure monitoring system.
- Audi rep lacement parts were not used .
- If snow cha ins a re being used, system func-
tion can be compromised due to the shie ld ­
ing properties of the chains.
- The tire pressu re monitoring system may
not be avai lab le because of a radio malfunc­
tion.
- T ransmitters with the same freq uency, such
as radio headphones in the vehicle or radio
equ ipment, can cause a temporary disrup­
tion of the system through excessive elec­
tromagnet ic fie lds .
- Eliminate the interference if yo u can and
then proceed as follows: Turn off the eng ine
for 20 minutes. Then drive another 10 mi­
nutes. If the war ning light comes on again,
you shou ld contact yo ur autho rized Aud i
dea le r i mmediately to have the prob lem cor­
rected .
- Do not use commerc ia lly available t ire sea l­
ants. Othe rwise, the elec trical components
of the tire pressure mo nitor ing system will
no longer work properly and the sensor for
the t ire press ure monito ring system wi ll
have to be rep laced by a qualified wo rkshop.
¢, Windshield washer flu id level too low
If the (-) symbol illuminates, add windshie ld
washer fl uid to t he washer system
<=:> page 188.
0 Battery voltage low
If th e (•i symbol illuminates, contact your au­
t h orized Audi dea le r and have the following
components inspected:
- drive belt
- battery charge
Also see if the generato r warning/ind icator
li ght illum inates
<=:> page 17 .

For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10- lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
norma l weight of the item. This means that
the we ight of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs . (90 kg) . You can imagine the
in juries that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flyi ng
freely throug h the pass enge r compartment
could cause in a collision li ke t his.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle ca using se rious
personal in jury in the event of har d brak ­
ing or an acc ident . To help reduce the r is k
of serious personal injury :
- Always put objects, for examp le, luggage
o r othe r heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
_& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the r isk of a
loss of control leading to ser ious personal
injury:
- Always keep in m ind whe n transporting
heavy objects, t hat a change in t he cen ­
ter of g ravity can also cause c hanges in
vehicl e handling.
- Never exceed the G ross Ax le Weight Ra t­
ing or t he Gross Veh icle Weight Rating
spe cified on t he safety compliance stic k­
er on t he left door jamb. Exceeding pe r­
missib le we igh t standa rds can cause the
vehicle to s lide and handle differently.
- Please observe info rm atio n on s afe driv­
ing
C? page 99.
_& WARNING , ~ ~
Always make su re that the doors, all win ­
dows and the front lid are securely closed
an d locked to red uce the risk of in jury
when the veh icle is not being used .
- After closing the front lid, a lways make
s u re that it is properly closed and locked .
- Never leave you r vehicle unatten ded es­
pecially with the front lid left open . A
Dr iving S afel y 105
child cou ld craw l into the luggage com­
pa rtment and close the front lid becom­
ing trapped and unable to get out. Be ing
trapped in a veh icle can lead to se rious
pe rsonal injury .
- Never let ch ildren play i n or around the
veh icle .
- Never let passengers ride in t he luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must
always be prope rly restra ined in one of
the vehicle 's seating pos it ions .
(D Tips
The t ire pressure must correspond to the
l oad. The t ire press ure is show n on the tire
p ressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the d river 's s ide B-pillar. The t ire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at
it s m aximum c apac ity we igh t a nd the tires
that we re on your vehicle at the t ime it
was manufacture d. For recommended tire
pressures fo r normal load cond it ions,
please see chapter c::> page 193.
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehi cle
ha s a defect which could cau se
a crash or could caus e injury or
death, you should immediately inform the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notify­
ing Audi of Amer ica , Inc .
If NHTSA receives similar com­ plaints, it may open an investi­
gation , and if it finds that a
safet y defect s exists in a group .,.
•
•

Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
t::;> page 150.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
Q page 204 , Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles with
all-wheel drive
<=> page 199.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your driving to road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the extra
safety afforded by all-wheel drive tempt
you into taking extra risks.
- Although a ll-wheel drive is very effect ive,
always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction. You should
therefore not drive at excessive speeds
on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld beg in to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front-
-
Intelligent technology 155
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions. -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long per iod of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobi lizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectr ical ener­
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual cons umers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability. .,..
•
•

-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
•
•

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.