2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER winter tires

200 Tires and wheels
conditions. Ask your authorized Audi dea ler
for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated
by a numeral of 55 or less in the tire's size
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
tional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect -ratio tires is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and that the inflation pressure is reg ­
ularly checked and maintai ned. Tire pressures
should be checked at least once a month and
a lways befo re a long t rip
~ page 189, Check­
ing tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
eas ily by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies
o r ridge5 on the road, particu larly if the tire i5
underinflated.
I n order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2.000 miles (3.000 km) and add air if neces­
sary .
- Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authori zed Aud i dealer. Rep lace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2.000 miles (3.000 km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu ­
ally cause t ire failure . If you believe that a tire
may have been damaged, rep lace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tires
delive r responsive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
t ir es or iginally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . T hey are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions . If
you drive under those c ircumstances, you
should equ ip your vehicle with winter tires,
which offer better traction under those condi­
tions . We suggest yo u use the recommended
snow tires specified for your vehicle, or their
equivalent.
Refer to~
poge 197 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.
Ti re pressure
monitoring system
General notes
Eac h tire, including the spare (if provided),
shou ld be checked mon thly when cold and in­
flated to the inflat ion pressure recommended
by the ve hicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure labe l (If your
vehicle has tires of a different si ze than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion pressure label, you should determine
the proper t ire in flation pressure for those
t ir es .) .
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. Acco rding­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
Ill>-

A
A/C operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Accessories .. ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 221
Active ro llover protection system . . . . . . . 99
Retract ing ro llover protection . .. .. .. .. 99
Add ing
Engine coolant . ....... ... .. .. .. ... 177
Engine oi l .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. .. ... 174
Addit io nal accesso ries ...... .. .. .. .. . 22 1
Addit ives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Ad justab le steer ing column . ... .. .. .... 70
Adj usti ng front seats ....... .. .. .. .. .. 59
Advanced Airbag System Ch ildren . .. ............. .... .. .. . 131
Components .. ........... .. .. .. ... 116
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
H ow the components work together . . 117
M oni toring . ................ ... ... 120
Weight-se nsing mat ...... .. .. .. .. . 13 1
Airbag War ning/ indicator lights . .. .. .. .. .. .. 14
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109, 128
Care ... .. .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 122
Child restra ints ........... .... .. ... 132
Components (front airbags) .. .. .. .. . 116
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 1
Disposal . ................ ... ... .. 122
Fr ont airbags ............ .... .. ... 1 13
H ow do the front a irbags work? . .. .. . 118
H ow many airbags does my vehicle
have? ... .. .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 116
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system ....... .. .. .. .. . 126
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Indicator light ........... .. .. .. ... 120
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Mo nitor ing . ................ ... ... 120
P ASSENGER AIR BAG OFF l ight .. ... .. 120
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2
Side airbags .. ........... .. .. .. ... 12 7
When mus t the system be inspected? . 120
Ai r cond itioni ng
A/C operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
A ir dist ribution ........... .. .. .. .... 67
A ir r eci rcula tion mode ..... .. .. .. .. .. 68
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Inde x 223
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Defrost ... .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 68
Econom ica l use . ... . .. ..... ... .. .. . 69
Fan ........ .. .. .................. 67
Rear window defogger . ............. . 69
Switching on and off ................ 67
T emperature ... .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. . 66
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
A ir recircu lation mode
Air condi tioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
All -wheel drive .. .. .. ..... .......... 147
Winter tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
A lternator
refer to Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolan t sys tem ... .. .. 175
Anti- lock b rake system
Warning/ind icator lights .......... .. . 16
Anti- lock braking system ......... .... 142
Anti -slip reg ulation . .. ... .... ... .. .. 142
Anti-theft ala rm system ......... .... .. 38
Anti-theft whee l bolts ........... .... 206
Ashtray .. .. .. .. .. .... ........... .. . 62
Asterisk ...... .. .... .. ........ ...... . 5
Audi magnet ic r ide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19, 75
Description . ... .... . ... ...... ... .. . 75
Ind icator light . .. ................. . 19
Audi Se rv ice Repair Manuals and Lit era-
ture .. ... .. .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. 219
Automated manual t ransmission
refer to R tronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Automat ic be lt retractor ......... .. .. 104
A utomat ic car wash
refer to Washing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Automat ic head light . .............. .. 49
Auto Safety Hot line .................. 97
Ave rage fuel mileage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
B
Battery .... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 178
Charg ing .. .... .. ................. 180
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Disconnecting ... .. . .. .... .... .. .. 178
Low .... .. .. .. .. .. ............... 14 7
replacing .. .. .. .. .... ............. 181
•
•

232 Index
Warranty coverages ..... ... .. .. .... . 219
Washing .. .. ................ ... ... 153
F o ld in g top cleaning ...... .. .. .... . 156
M atte fin is h pa int ...... .. .. .. .. .. . 155
Wax ing . .. .. ... . ...... ... .. .. .. .. . 153
Wear ind icator .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 192
Weights ..... .. ........ ...... ... .. . 215
What happens if you wear yo ur safety belt
too loose? . .... ............. ...... . 105
Wha t happens to unbelted occupants? .. 104
What impairs driving safety? . . . . . . . . . . . 92
What should I do after chang ing a
wheel? .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. ... 189
Wheel bo lts
Torq ue ... .. .. . .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 199
Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158, 183
Che ckin g tire pressu re ... ...... .. .. . 189
Cold t ire in fla tion pressu re . .. .. .. .. . 187
General notes ... ...... ... .. .. .... . 183
Glossary of tire and load ing termino lo -
gy . ... .... ... . ...... ... .. .. .... . 184
N ew tires and wheels ...... .. .. .... . 193
Tires and vehicle load lim its .. .. ..... 190
When mus t the airbag system be inspect -
ed? ... .. .... .. .. ...... ... .. .. .... . 120
When shou ld I ad just the tire p ressu res? 189
When sho uld I check the tire pressures? . 189
Where can I find the ti re pressu res for my
car? . .. ... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 189
Why safety belts? .... ...... .. .. .. .. . 102
W ind deflector ............ .. .. .. .. .. 42
C leaning . .. .. . .......... .. .. .... . 156
W indows
C leaning ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 157
Defrost .... .. . .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 68
De icing ...... ........... .... .... . 157
W indshield was her fl uid .... .. .. .. .. . . 18
W indshield w ipers .... ..... .. .. .. .. . 182
Install ing new w iper blades .. .. .. .... 55
Service pos it io n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
W inter operation
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178, 179
Coolant system . ...... ... .... .. .. . 175
Defrosting windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
H eated seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
W indows .. ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 157
W indshie ld w ipers ........ .... .... . 18 2 Winter tires
..... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 197
All-wheel drive ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 197
Wiper and washer system ........ .... . 53
Wiper b lades
refer to W indshield wipers ...... .. .. . 55