2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

-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 hicle 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 extreme 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 17 4 .
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 151
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.
_& WARNING
-
Some race tracks (e.g. steeply banked
turns) may affect the response of the ESC.
(D Tips
- Review the track requirements and con­
ditions before you start driving.
- 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 ironmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires la rgely
depend on three facto rs:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
By havi ng your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
a uthorized Aud i dea le r helps to ens ure that i t
runs properly and economica lly. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
f u el
consumption .
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before yo u can p rope rly
assess oil consumpt io n.
Th is also app lies to fue l consumption and en-
gine o utp ut.
IJll>
•
•

152 Driving and en vironm ent
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the funct ion of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not a lter or remove any component of
t h e Em ission Cont rol System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any dev ice, such
as heat shields, switc hes, ignition wires,
va lves, wh ich are designed to pro tect
you r vehicle's Emiss ion Con trol Sys tem
and other important vehicle compo­
nents .
@ Tips
The consumpt ion es tima tes as p ublished
by the ENV IRONMENTAL PRO TECTION
AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may
not 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 tra iler with your Audi R8 is not rec­
ommended and can cause damage to the vehi­
cle . Damage caused by tow ing a tra iler is not
covered under warranty .

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Regular and correct care will contribute to
maintaining the beauty and value of your Au­
d i. Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty cla im should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your authorized Audi R8 dealer has a variety
of
d edicat ed ve hicl e-car e produ ct s. Please
make sure you apply them correctly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels .
- Always read directions on the container before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas .
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polis h remover or other volatile
fluids . They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous i n other ways. Do not wash,
wa x or d ry the vehicle wi th the ign it ion
on or the eng ine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. wit h out pro­
tecting your hands a nd arms . You may
c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
- Mois ture and ice on brakes may imp air
braking efficiency
c:> page 145, Broking.
T est the brakes ca refully each time you
wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select only environmenta lly fr iend ly clean­
ing prod ucts . Leftover clean ing products
should not disposed of in the household
waste .
Cleaning and protec tion 153
Care of exterior
Washing your vehicle
T he longer i nsect rema ins, bird dropp ings,
t ree res in, road and indust rial d ust, tar , soo t
part icles, road salt, and o ther aggressive de­
pos its remain on the vehicle su rface, the more
lasting their destructive effect will be . High
temperatures, for example from intense sun­ light, intensify the corrosive effect.
After the end of winter road salting, the un­ derside of the vehicle shou ld be thoroughly
washed .
Automatic car washes
You must t ake the necessary precautions s uch
as clos ing t he windows and convert ible top
before using an automatic car wash.
If yo ur
vehicle has specia l accessories - e.g . spoilers,
radio antenna -it is best to speak to the oper­
ator of the car wash c:>(D .
Only use car washes where the vehicle re ­
mains stationary and the cleaning equipment
moves aro und the veh icle while washing and
drying. It is not possib le to use car washes
where the vehicle is moved forward on a con­
veyer
c:> ,& .
It is preferab le to wash your vehicle in a
brush less carwash .
Washing with a pow er wa sher
When was hing yo ur vehicle with a power
washe r, be sure to follow the operating in ­
structions for the power washer. This applies particu larly to the
p ressure and the spra ying
distance .
Mainta in sufficient distance from
soft materials such as rubber hoses, sound
deade ning mater ial, and the park ing aid sen­
sors* that are located i n the front or rear
bumper.
Do not use washers with
a ro tating jet or a
nozzle spraying
a h igh pressur e je t of wate r in
any case.
IJl,-
•
•

154 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 156. Use
a
shampoo only for very 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.

Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Automatic car washes
You must take the necessary precautions such
as closi ng the windows before us ing an auto­
mat ic car wash. See the ca r wash attendant if
the re is special eq uipment on yo ur vehicle
such as a spoiler or remote cont ro l an tenna
¢ 0 .
Only use ca r was hes where t he vehicle re­
mains stationary and the washing eq uipment
moves around the vehicle when washing and
d rying.
It is not possible to use ca r washes
that move the ve hicle through the ca r wash
using a chain
~ .&. .
Only use car w ashes tha t use cloth cleaning
eq uipment, not brushes .
Washing with pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc­
tions provided w ith the pressure washer. This
i s especially important in rega rd to t he
pre s­
sure
and s praying di stance. Be su re to keep
enough distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulat ing mater ial as we ll as
from the parking system sensors*, wh ich are
loca ted in the front or rear bumper.
Never use
rotary nozzle s or high pre ssure
nozzles .
Washing by hand
To avo id damag ing t he pa int when w ash ing ,
firs t remove d ust and large pa rticles from
your vehicle . Insects, grease spots and finger­
p rints a re best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish pa int .
Apply the produc t using a mi crofiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too m uch press ure.
Cleaning and protec tion 155
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly wi th water. Clean
the ve hicle starting at t he top and working to ­
ward the bottom using a
neutral shampoo
and a soft microfiber cloth . Stop frequent ly to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
Clean the wheels and si ll pane ls last. Use a
clean
sponge on these areas.
R inse t he ve hicle thoroughly again and le t it
air dry. If there are any water spots, they can
be removed using a
leathe r cloth.
Clean again with the spe cial cleaner for matte
finish paint
if necessary .
Removing stubborn dirt
Bird droppings or tre e sap
are best remov ed
with plenty of wate r and a microfiber cloth .
You should rinse off
gasoline res idue immed i­
ate ly w ith plenty of water .
_& WARNING
-Wash your vehicle only whe n the ignition
is switched off to red uce the risk of a
cras h.
- To reduce the risk of c utting yourse lf,
protect your hands and a rms fro m meta l
pa rt s wi th sha rp edges when clea ning
the underbody, the ins ide of the whee l
housings or the whee l covers .
- If washing your ve hicle dur ing the win­
ter, mois ture and i ce in the brake system
can affect the vehicle 's braking ab ility .
(D Note
-Do not treat veh icle parts pain te d wi th
m att e fini sh paint u sing pol ishing m ate­
r ia ls or hard wax. These p rod ucts cou ld
cause damage to the appearance o r sur­
face that cannot be repaired .
- N ever use protective wax . It ca n destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not pla ce an y s tickers or magnetic
signs on vehi cle pa rts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
•
•

156 Cleaning and protec tio n
-To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight .
- To prevent damage to the paint surface, do not use insect removal sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or similar items.
- You should remove debris (such as in ­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refue l­
i ng your vehicle. Only clean the head­
li ghts using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one . Cleaning w ith soapy water is
recommended.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehi cles outs ide of
t hese facilities is prohib ited.
(D Tips
For more informat ion on special cleaning
p roducts designed for matte fin is h pa int,
seeyourAudiRBdeale~
Convertible top care
The convertible top requires special care .
Keeping your top looking great and making
certain that it lasts a long t ime depend to a
great extent on proper use and care . Remove
b ir d droppings as soon as possib le, since t he
cor rosive chemi cals in them w ill cau se the
r u bber impregnat ion in your top to swell and
possib ly allow the fabric to leak .
W ith
normal soiling, a ll yo u n eed to do is
clear the top with a soft brush and clear wa ­
ter . Always brush in the direction of the fabric
from fron t to rear.
I f the top is
very dirty and has spotted areas
clean it wi th a brush using a convert ible top
cleane r. Always brush in the direction of the
fabric from front to rear . Rinse with plenty of
clear water , and a llow the top to air-dry.
C hamois a re not s uitable fo r dry ing the top. Never use gasoline, spot remover, benzene,
paint thinner or solvents to remove spots
. We
recommend that you only use cleaners espe­
c ially formulated for use on convertib le tops,
and that you fo llow the produce use d irections
carefully . Authorized Audi deals can prov ide
detailed informat ion.
A WARNING ,..__
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
¢ page 153.
(D Note
Never use a high-pressure power washer to
clean the convertib le top .
Wind deflector
Clear the wind deflector w ith wate r o r, if it is
heavily soi led, a chemically neut ral cleaning
solution .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information on
¢page 153.
Waxing and polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the envi ronmental
factors listed under¢
page 153, Washing
your vehicle
and even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week afte r yo ur vehicle
has been delivered.
E ven if you regu larly use a
wa xing process in
automa tic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icu larly if water no
l onger beads on the clean paint.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the ve hicle body. .,..

During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Poli shing
P olish your vehicle on ly if the pa int has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preserva ­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwa rds .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNING and
other Information¢
page 153.
([) Note
Do not use car wax on
- ma tte or anod ized metal trim
-
- rubbe r or rubber-like tr im .
Trim strips
For e nvironmenta l reasons, Aud i fabricates
the br igh t tr im strips and t rim pieces from
pure chromium-free a luminum .
D irt and mar ks on the tr im str ips should be
removed with a
pH -balanc ed cl eaning agent
(do no t use a chrome cleaner). Paint po lishes
are a lso not suitable for the care o f decorative
parts and trim strips. A lkaline cleaners which
are often used before entering car washes can
cause dull or mi lky spots when they dry.
Author ized Audi dealers carry cleaning prod ­
ucts which have been tested for use on your
vehicle and are not harmful to the environ­
ment.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNING and
other Informat ion
¢page 153.
Plastic and vinyl
-
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
Cleaning and protec tion 157
a lukewarm all-p urpose cleaning so lution o r a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Paint care
products are not suitab le for plastic and viny l.
A WARNING
Always read and observe all WARNINGS
and other information
¢page 153.
Carbon-fiber parts
Applies to vehicles : with carbo n-fiber parts
The carbon-fiber parts of your vehicle have a
painted surface. They do not requ ire special
ca re and are cleaned like other painted parts
¢ page 153.
Touch-up paint -
You
r authorized Audi dea ler has to uch-up
paint fo r minor scratches and stone chips. Mi­
nor paint damages such as scratches or stone
c h ips should be touched up immed iate ly to
prevent corrosion.
T he number for the origi nal veh icle paint can
be fo und on the vehicle identification label
¢ page 215.
However, if cor rosion h as formed, you must
have th is thoro ughly removed by you a uthor­
ized Audi dea ler or other qualified workshop .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
the information
c:> page 153.
Windows
Clear vision improves traffic safety.
In order to maintain the performan ce of the
winds hield wiper blades, neve r clean the win­
dow glass with insect remove r or wax .
Rubber, o il, g rease, or silicone residue can be
removed using a
glas s cl eaner o r a silic one re­
m over .
Wax residue, howeve r, can only be re ­
moved using a spec ial cleane r. You can obta in
more information from your authorized Audi
dealer.
ll-
•
•

158 Cleaning and protection
You shou ld also clean the inside of the win ­
dow g lass at regular intervals.
The cloth or chamois used on paint surfaces
con tains wax res idue. Use a separa te cloth or
chamois to d ry the window glass.
Cl eaning the rear window
Aud i recommends cleaning the window us ing
a soft cotton clot h and water m ixed wi th
clean ing solution or window cleaner (1:1 mix ­
ture) . To avoid streaks, do not wipe the win­
dow dry with paper towels.
D o not use any clea ning so lutions that conta in
ammonia, acids , si licone or fl uo ride or clean­
ers that are abrasive or co uld cause sc ratches.
Do not use any alkaline cleaning solutions.
A WARNING
- The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water-repe llent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
t ion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatte r.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 153.
(D Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
sticke rs on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
r ection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Wheels
Regular care is required to preserve the deco­
rative appearance of the wheels . Road sa lt
and brake dust must be washed off regu larly
or the wheels wi ll be damaged. Use only special acid-free cleaning agents
. You
can find proper wheel cleaner at authorized
Audi dealers and specia lty stores . Do not leave
the cleaner on the wheels longer than speci­
fied. Wheel cleaners contain ing acid can dam­
age the surface of the wheel bolts .
Pa int polish or other abrasive materials must
not be used when caring for wheels . If the
protective coat ing has been damaged, from
stones for example, touch up the damage as
soon as possible.
A WARNING ,__
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
b rak ing eff ic iency -
¢ page 145, Braking.
Test the b rakes carefully after each veh i­
cle wash.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNI NGS and
the informa tion
¢page 153.
Exhaust tail pipes
-
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other abrasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Radio and navigation display
T he display may be cleaned with a soft cloth
and commercially-avai lab le "LCD cleaner".
The cloth should be coated lightly when the
cleaning solution when cleaning the display.
(D Note
To prevent scratches, only clean the dis­play when it is dry.