2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER coolant

1 7 0 Che cking and filling
(D Note
When adding fluids, a lways make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to veh icle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regu larly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Releasing the engine compartment lid
The engine compartment lid is released from
inside the vehicle .
Fig. 137 Driver's side: releasing t he engine co mpart ­
ment lid
Requirement : The ignition must be switched
on.
... Make sure the rear spoiler is retracted
¢page 144 .
... Pull the button @. The eng ine compart­
ment lid opens slightly .
... Open the engine compartment lid
c> ,& .
A WARNING
-
Hot engine coo lant can burn you . To re­
duce the risk of being bu rned, never open
the engine compartment lid if yo u see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the
eng ine compartment. Wait until no steam
or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the engine compartment
lid.
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, on ly
open the engine compartment lid when
the convert ible top storage bay lid is
closed.
(D Tips
An emergency re lease can be used if the
engine compartment lid cannot be re­
leased with the button
® ¢ page 171.
Closing the engine compartment lid
... Make sure that the rear spoiler is retracted
Qpage 144.
.,. Pull the eng ine compartment lid down unti l
the pressure from the struts is reduced .
... Press the engine compartment lid closed
Q&. .
A WARNING
A engine compartment lid that is not com­
plete ly latched could fly up and b lock your
view wh ile 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.

Engine compartment lid emergency
release
The emergency release loop is located under
the right trim panel near the front passenger
seat.
F ig . 138 Front pas se n ge r footwe ll: emer gen cy re lease
l oo p
Engine compartment
Checkin g and fillin g 171
.. Make su re the rear spoiler is retracted
¢ page 144 .
.. Pull the loop forward to release the engine
compartment lid . The engine compartment
lid opens sligh tly.
.. Open the engine compartment lid¢.&.
in
Releasing the engine compartment lid on
page 170.
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only
open the eng ine compartment lid when
the convertible top storage bay lid is
closed .
Th es e ar e th e most important it ems that you can ch eck.
Fig. 139 Ty pical layout for containers , en gin e oil dipst ick and eng ine o il filler cap
(D Power steering fluid reservoir
(@) ... .. .... .... ... ...... .
@ Eng ine oi l filler cap ('l=r.) .. ...
® Engin e oi l dipstick
146
174
174
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 169 .
-
{!) Tips
The coolant expansion tank is located un­
der the convertible top storage bay lid
¢ page 177.

A WARNING
-While top ping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine pa rts -fire
hazard!
- The oil fille r cap must be prope rly se­
cured to preve nt o il from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is r unning -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, yo u must subseque ntly
cl eanse it tho roughly.
(D Note
- The oil level must not be above range G)
- danger of conver ter or eng ine damage!
Co ntact an authorized Audi dea ler to
draw off oil, if necessa ry.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additiv es. They may damage the engine
and adverse ly affec t your New Vehicle
Warr an ty.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Under no ci rcumstances ca n the o il come
i n cont act w it h the sewage network o r
the soil.
- Observe and fo llow lega l regu lations
when d isposing of empty oil con taine rs.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The coolant provides cooling for the engine.
The percentage of the coolant additive deter­
mines the freeze protection of the coolant in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
q ui res little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture o f water and the man ufacture r's g ly­
col-based coolant additive Gl3 ant ifreeze
w ith a nticorros ion add itives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canad ian models). This mix­
ture bot h assures the n ecessary frost protec-
Checkin g and fillin g 175
tion and protects meta l components in t he
engine's cooling system from corrosio n and
sca ling . It a lso raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concen tration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lai n wate r.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
ta in antifreeze protect io n and coo ling eff ic ien­
cy. If the coo la nt frost protection is too low,
t h e coolant could freeze and damage the vehi­
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory fo r temperatures dow n to:
- -31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada .
A WARNING ~
Before you chec k anything in the engi ne
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS¢
& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 169.
-
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli ­
mate condit ions. This is especially impor­
t ant if you l ive i n a region where the win-
t er is extremely cold. If necessary, in-
cr ea se t he p ropo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 6 0%.
- Whe n ad ding coolant addi tiv e to yo ur
c oo ling sys te m , reme mbe r:
- We recommend using on ly coo lant ad­
d itive Gl2 ++ or Gl3 (check the labe l)
for your vehicle. This coolant additive is ava ilable at authorized Aud i dea lers .
Othe r ty pes of antifreeze ca n sig nifi­
ca ntly reduce cor ros io n protec tion . The
r esu lting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coo lant a nd serio us e ng ine da mage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator l eak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle's engi ne coo lant .
A dd ing radia to r r epair f luid m ay adverse-
ly affect the f unction and pe rformance of .,.. •
•

1 7 6 Che cking and filling
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Checking the engine coolant level
Proceed carefully when checking the coolant.
Fig . 1 43 Co nvert ible top: se rv ice pos it ion
F ig . 14 4 Convert ib le top storage bay: coolant expan·
sio n tank
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment,
a lwa ys r ead and heed all WARN ­
INGS ¢.&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
169 and park your vehicle on a
level surface .
The coolant expansion tank is located in the right s ide of the convertible top storage bay
under the round metal cover¢
fig. 144 . The
convertible top must be in the service position
to check the coolant leve l
¢fig . 143 .
Bringing the closed con ve rtible top into
th e s ervic e position
~ Switch the ignition on .
~ Pull and hold the convert ible top switch .
~ Press and hold the rear window switch too
u nti l the convertib le top moves into the
service position¢
fig. 143.
Bringing the op en conv ertible to into the
service position
~ Switch the ignition on.
~ Press and hold the convertible top switch.
~ Press and hold the rear window switch too
until the convertible top moves into the
service position¢
fig . 143 .
Opening the coolant e xpan sion tank cover
~ Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
~ Switch the ignition off.
~ Carefully remove the bolts in the cover (D
using a screwdriver and remove the cover.
The coolant reservoir is located below
¢fig. 144.
Chec king the engine cool ant level
~ Place a rag or cloth on the cap of the cool­
ant expansion tank and turn the cap
careful­
ly
to the left (counter-clockwise) ¢ .&_.
~ Read the coolant level inside the coolant ex­
pans ion tank ¢
fig. 144 . With a co ld engine,
it must be above the "min" mark. With a hot
eng ine, it can be a little above the indicated
range.
T o obtain an accu rate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion ta nk in your vehicle is equ ipped
with an electric coo lant level sensor
¢page 15. We still recommend you check the
c oolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
i ng system shou ld be inspected immediately
by your aut horized Audi dea ler. It is not
eno ugh me rely to add coolant.
In a
s ea le d system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.

A WARNING ,~
- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
notopenthecapofthecoolantexpan­
sion tank when the engine is hot . You
risk being scalded .
- The coolant additive, and therefore the coolant itself, is hazardous to health.
Keep the coolant additive in the original
container out of the reach of children. It
is a poison hazard.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 169.
.. Add coolant .
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly .
.. Tighten the cap (D ¢ page 176, fig . 144
again.
Replacement engine coolan t must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 175, Coolant . If
the coolant additive G12+ + is not available in
an emergency, you must not add any other ad­
ditive. In this case, use only water and restore
the correct mix ratio with the specified cool­
ant additive as soon as possible.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling .
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
With a major loss of coolant, you should add
the coolant only when the engine has
cooled.
In this way you prevent engine damage .
Checking and filling 177
A WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot . Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
Q) Note
-Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres ­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 175 must be re­
stored as soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulations.
•
•

182 Checking and filling
(D Note
- Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l
battery. Installing a different type of
battery can cause prob lems in the vehi­
cle electrical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one with
the same spec ificat ions as the original
battery .
- Make sure that the gas venting hose is
always connected to the o riginal open ing
on the battery side. Otherw ise gasses or
ba tte ry acid could leak out .
- Battery holder and term inals a lways
have to be secured cor rectly.
- Read and follow the warnings under
9 page 179, Working on the battery be­
fore performing any work on the batte ry.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you . Batteries contain sulfur ic ac id and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with a ll environmenta l
reg ulations. D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment. Make sure that the removed bat­
tery ca nnot overbalance, otherwise sulfu­
r ic acid might escape!
Windshield washer
container
Fig. 147 Luggage compa rtment : W inds hield washer
fl uid reservo ir
The windshield washer container O is located
in the luggage compartment. You can find the
reservo ir capacity in the table in
¢page 218.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
(D Note
- Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir.
- Do not use glass cleaners containing
pai nt so lvent; you risk damaging the
paint.

184 Tire s and wheel s
-Ne ver mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry. " Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of R t ron ic, powe r stee ring, powe r brakes,
power w indows, power sea ts, r ad io, and hea t­
e r, to the extent that these i tems are available
as facto ry -in stalled equipment (whether in ­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he part of the tire that is made o f
steel wires, wr apped o r reinforce d by p ly co rds
and that is shaped to fi t the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
compo nents in the bead.
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted. -
If you notice un usual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicle w it h
standard equipment includ ing the max imum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, a ir cond i­
ti on ing and additional weig ht o f option al
equipmen t.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion p ress ures tha n
the cor responding standard tire. Extr a load
t i r es my be i dent ified as "XL" , "xl", "E XTRA
LO AD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum tota l loaded we ight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code )
me ans the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not fi nd this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the lo ad r ati ng fo r a tire a t the m axi­
mum perm issib le inf lation pressure for that
ti re .

190 Tire s and wheel s
wheels you have to adjust t he tire pressures
on all w heels .
A WARNING
Incorrec t tire pressures and/or underinfla ­
t ion can lea d sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, ser ious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
t io n can cause increased t ire wear and
can affect the handling of the ve hicle and
stopp ing ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­ fla tion can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut and sudden de­
fla tion, causing loss of vehicle control.
- T he d river is responsible for the cor rect
t ire pressures fo r all tires on the vehicle .
T he ap plic a b le p ress ure v alues are locat­
ed on a st ic ker on the drive r's side 8-pil­
lar.
- O nly when all t ires on the vehi cle ar e fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres ­
sure monitoring system can wor k co r­
rect ly .
- Th e use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specif ied tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the funct ion of the tire pressure mo nitor­
ing system .
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure befo re drivi ng
off .
- Driv ing with under inflated tires bend
more, lett ing them get too ho t res ulting
in t read separation, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss of control.
- Excess ive speed and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden t ire fa ilu re
and loss of control.
- If the t ire pressur e is too low or too high,
the ti res w ill wea r pre matu rely a nd the
vehicle will not h and le we ll. -
If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
red uced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire pressure and add
air as req uired.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can ca use
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
a lways make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted o n the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the
fuel consum ptio n.
Tires and vehicle load limits
T he re a re lim its to the amount of load o r
weight tha t any veh icle a nd any tire can ca rry .
A vehi cle that is overloaded will no t handle
well and is mo re d iff icu lt to stop . Ove rloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control,
but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire fa ilure, in­
clud ing a b lowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
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 veh icle . These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle 's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all facto ry installed accessor ies, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
max imum load . T he max imum load includes
t h e nu mbe r of p assenge rs t hat the vehicle is
i n tended to c arry ("seat ing c apac ity") wi th an
ass umed we ight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve -
hicle. ..,_