2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

the wheel bolts. These are available from au­
thorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains, never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
Tires and wheels 199
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r:!> page 221.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of ± 7 .4
ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago­
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving
IJ,,
•
•

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>-

soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a significant ly un­
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation a l­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread l ife,
and may affect the veh icle 's handling and
stopping ab ility.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper t ire maintenance, and it is the dr iv­
er's responsib ility to ma inta in correct t ire
p ress ure , even if under- inflation has not
reached the leve l to t rigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale .
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicato r to indicate when
the system is not ope rating properly. The
TPMS malfunc tion indica to r i s combined wi th
the low t ire pr essu re tellta le. When the sys ­
tem detec ts a ma lf u nct ion, the te lltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuo usly ill uminated . This se­
q uence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction ex ists.
When the malfunction indicator is ill uminat ­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signa l low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions may occ ur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the ins talla tio n of replace­
ment or a lternate tires o r whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
p roperly . Always check the TPMS malfunct ion
t ellta le afte r replacing one o r more t ires or
wheels o n your veh icle to ensure tha t the re­
p lacemen t or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly .
Introduction
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
air pressure in all four road wheels while the
vehicle is moving .
As soon as the tire pressu re mo nitor ing sys­
tem senses a s ignificant loss of a ir pressure in
one or severa l ti res, text messages and yellow
symbo ls appear in the instr ument cluster dis ­
p lay to alert the driver. The
[ti warning light
Tire s an d wheel s 201
in the instrument cluster comes on when the
ti re is significant ly underinflated .
T he wa rni ng lig ht
[ti also illu minates i n the
case of a system mal funct io n.
Be aware that t ire pressure is a lso dependent
o n the tempe ratu re of the t ire. For eve ry 18 ° F
(10 °C) incre ase in tir e te mper ature, tire pres­
s u re inc reases by about 1.5 psi (0 .1 bar). The
ti re warms up while the ve hicle is moving and
tire p ress ure rises . So you sho uld ad just tire
pressure only when they a re
cold, when the
temperature of the tires is ro ughly the same
as the ambient a ir temperature.
In order to keep the tire press ure monito ring
system p roperly ca librated, t ire press ure on
all four tires sho uld be checked at regu lar in­
terva ls.
The tire pressure is shown on the label located
on the dr iver's side B-pillar (v is ib le when the
door is open) .
A WARNING
When the tire pressure mo nitoring system
war ning light is lit , one o r m ore of your
tires is s ignificantly under-infla ted . You
shou ld stop and check your tires as soon as
pos sib le, and in flate t hem to the proper
p ress ure a s in dic ate d on the ve hicle's ti re
p ress ure lab el
¢page 187. Driving on a
significantly under -inflated ti re causes t he
tire to over heat and can lead to tire failure .
Under-inflat ion also is like ly to impair the
vehicle's handling and stopping ab ility.
@ For the sake of the environment
D riving wit h un der -inflated tires red uces
fuel efficiency an d tire t read life.
(D Tips
- E ach tire should be chec ked monthly
w hen the tem perature of the tires is
about the same as amb ient a ir tempera­
t u re and set to the recommended infla­
tion press ure as specified on the tire
pressure label¢
page 187.
•
•

202 Tire s and whee ls
- The tire pressure monitoring system
helps the driver to keep an eye on tire
pressures. But the driver st ill has the re­
spons ibility for maintaining the correct
tire pressure.
- Tire pressure must only be adjusted
when the temperature of the tires is
about the same as ambient air tempera­
ture.
- When t ires are replaced, the sensors and
valves should not be exchanged . The
valve core, nut, valve sealing and seal
washer (rep lacement kit) needs to be re­
placed. If necessary, the valve and the
whee l electronics have to be rep laced.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was calibrated us ing tires w ith
"RO" identification. We recommend us­
ing these tires.
- If you should put different whee ls and
ti res on yo ur vehicle (e.g. w inter wheels
and tires), yo u m ust be certain that the
whee ls and tires are compatible with the
tire pressure monitoring system . Other­
wise the system w ill reg ister a ma lfunc­
tion and a fault message will be d is­
played . For more information, contact
your authorized Audi dealer .
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
~ page 222 .
Programming a new set of tires
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
When driving with a new set of ti res, you can
program them to the t ire pressure monitoring
system using the menu disp lay.
"' Turn the ign ition on.
"' Se lect the menu :
Set> Tir e pr essu re >
Wh eel cha ng e.
"' Co nfirm that you wou ld like to begin the
programming process. The message
Wh eel
s en sors a re being in it ia lised. Thi s ma y ta ke
a fe w minute s .. .
appears in the instrument
cluster disp lay. You can switch between programmed tire sets
at any time without reinitializing the system .
(D Tips
If the programming process was not com­
pleted successfully, the message
Wheel
s en sors could not be initi alis ed
appears in
the disp lay and the
IIQIS, indicator light
turns on. If this happens, repeat the pro­
cedure.

What do I do now? Trunk escape handle
Appl ies to vehicles: with trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the front lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk es­
cape handle.
.. To open the front lid pull the handle.
The trunk escape handle inside the luggage
compartment is made of fluorescent materia l
to g low in the dark.
.&_ WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only
in an emergency.
Breakdown kit
The breakdown kit consists of vehicle tool kit
and tire mobility system.
Fig. 152 Breakdown kit in luggage compartment
@ Vehicle tool kit
@ Tire mobility system c::> page 203
The breakdown kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor .
The tool kit consists of the following items :
- Hook for removing hub cap
- Lug wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- Towing eye
- Jack* (not a vehicle component; contact your
authorized Audi dealer if needed)
Before returning the jack* to its place, retract
the jack arm fully .
What do I do now ? 203
Note: some of the items listed above are pro­
vided on certain mode ls only or are optional
extras.
.&_ WARNING
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts .
- The jack* (available as a replacement
part) is intended only for your vehicle
model. Under no circumstances use it to
lift heavy vehicles o r other loads; you risk
injuring yourse lf.
- Never start or run the eng ine while the
veh icle is supported by the jack *.
- If you must work under the veh icle, al­
ways use safety stands specifically de­ signed fo r th is purpose.
- Using a bumper jack to ra ise the vehicle
wi ll damage the bumpe r system. The
jack may slip, caus ing injury.
Tire repair
General and safety pointers
Tire repair is intended only for temporary,
short-term use .
Fig. 153 Ti re damage for which the Tire Mob ility Sys ­
tem is not suited
-
Your vehicle is equipped wi th a tire repa ir k it,
the
Tire M obility Sy stem (T M S).
In the event of a t ire failure, the TM S is in the
luggage compartment under the floor.
It con ­
s ists of the tire sealan t and an elec tric air
pump.

204 What do I do now?
Using TM S, tire damage caused by foreign
bodies up to about
0.16 inch (4 mm ) in diam­
eter can be sealed reliably.
The foreign object must s tay in the t ire.
The tir e sea lant mu st not be us ed :
- for cuts or punctures in the tire which are
larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)¢ fig. 153
(D
- for damage to the rim@
- if you have been driving with very low tire
pressures or tires with no air @
Using the
TM S is described in the section
¢ page 204, Preliminary steps.
TMS can be used at temperatures down to
-4 °F (- 20 °C).
A WARNING
Take the following preca utions after re­
pairing the tire:
-
- Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/
h)!
- Avoid full-throttle acce leration, heavy
braking an d fast cornering.
- The vehicle's road behavior can be affect­
ed.
- Tires sealed w ith
TMS are intended only
for
temporar y, short-term use . Dam­
aged tires must be replaced . Drive care­
fully to the next professional repair fa­
cility.
- After using the t ire sea lant the tire pres­
sure monitoring system may no longer
work properly. Drive carefully to the next professional repair fac ility.
- TMS must NOT be used,
- for cuts or pu nctures in the ti re whi ch
are larger than 0.16 inch (4 mm)
- for damage to the r im
- if you have been dr iv ing with very low
tire pressures or t ires with no air
- Seek profess ional assistance if it is not
poss ible to repair the tire with the tire
sealant.
- The tire sealant must not come into con­
tact with sk in, eyes or clothing. -
If you get any ti re sea lant in yo ur eyes or
come into contact w ith it, rinse the af­
fected area thoroughly with clean water. Find a phys ician immediately!
- Change any clothing contaminated with
tire sealant immediately.
- Do not inha le the vapor!
- If you have swallowed tire sealant, rinse
your mouth thoroughly right away and
drink plenty of water.
- Do not induce vomit ing! Find a physi­
c ian immediately!
- I f you have allergic react ions, find a
phys ic ian immediately.
- Keep the tire sealant away from children.
(D Note
Do not use commercially avai lab le tire
sealants. The e lectr ica l components of the
tire pressure monitoring system will no longe r work properly.
@) For the sake of the environment
Used sealant bottles ca n be dropped off at
a recycling facility.
(D Tips
- If sea lant has run out, allow it to dry.
Then you can peel it off.
- Have the t ire sea lant rep laced every 4
years at a dealership.
Preliminary steps
Some preliminary steps are necessary for tire
repair.
... If you have a flat tire, park the vehicle as far
as possible from moving traffic .
... App ly the
parking brake firmly.
... Engage a gear.
... Check whether a repair using the Tire Mobi­
lity System is poss ible ¢ page 203 .
... Have all passengers
lea ve the veh icle and
stay away from the danger zone¢.&_ .
... Take the
sea lant bottle and the ele ctri c air
pum p from the luggage compartment un-
de r the floor ¢ page 203, fig. 152. ....

.. Remove the "max. 50 mph" (80 km/h)
sticker from the sealant bottle and affix it to
the instrument cluster in the dr iver's view.
A WARNING
- Turn the hazard flashers on if you have a
flat tire in moving traffic. In this way you
protect yourself and other road users .
- Make sure that all passengers are in a
safe place, out of the dange r zone (fo r
example, behind a guard ra il).
(D Note
Part icular care is necessary if you are mak­
ing a t ire repair on a steep incline.
@ Tips
Obey all laws.
Making a tire repair
Tire repair consists of the following sections.
F ig. 154 Parts of the Tir e Mob ility System
Fig . 1 55 Con nector for the Ti re Mob ility System
l) The e lectr ic a ir pump s houl d never r un for long er than
8 m inute s.
What do I do now ? 205
Assembling Ti re Mobility System
.. Open the lid@ of the e lectr ic air p ump
<:!) fig. 154 .
.. Pull the plug @and the pressure hose ®
w ith the gauge out of the housing .
.. Screw the pressure hose ® of the electric
air pump onto the flange @ of the sealant
bott le @ .
.,. Push the sea lant bottle w ith the flange
down into the recess ® on the lid of the
electric a ir pump.
.. Remove the d ust cap from the va lve of the
defe ctive tire .
.. Screw the hose(§ onto the va lve
0
c::> fig. 155.
.. Insert the plug@¢ fig. 154 into the socket
for the c igarette lighte r.
Inf lating tire
.. Move the switch @ ¢ fig. 155 on the elec­
tric air pump
l} to position I. After 5 mi­
nutes, tire pressure m ust have reached at
least 1.8 bar .
.. Switch the e lectric air pump off -sw itch in
position
0 . If the required tire pressure of at
least 1.8 bar has not been reached, follow
th e instruct ions in the section
Re-inflating
tire .
Re-inflating tire
.. Remove the hose from the valve and pull
the plug out of the socket.
.. Dr ive the veh icle slowly 10 meters back­
ward o r fo rward . This helps to d istribute the
sealant bette r .
.. Remove the empty infla tion bot tle and
s crew the hose ®® ¢
fig. 154 from the
electric pump directly onto the va lve .
.. Insert the plug @ into the socket for the
cigarette lighter .
.. Move the switch @
c::> fig. 155 on the elec­
tr ic air pump
l} to position I. After 5 mi­
nutes, tire pressure must have reached at
least 1.8 bar.

206 What do I do now?
• Switch the electric air pump off -switch in
position
0. If the required tire pressure of at
l east 1.8 bar has not been reached, it is not
poss ible to make a repa ir with the tire seal­
ant. Seek professional ass istance.
Disassembling Tire Mobility System
• Remove the hose from the valve and pull
the p lug out of the socket .
• Screw the dust cap onto the valve.
• Place the empty sealant bottle back in the
original packaging and clip it in place under
the floor so that no tire sealant can run out into the vehicle .
• Start driving r ight away so that the sealant
is distributed in the tire.
.&_ WARNING
- Follow the manufactur er's safety instruc­
tions on the decal for the air pump and
the sea lant bott le .
- If a tire pressure of 1.8 bar cannot be
achieved after pumping for 5 minutes,
the tire is too severely damaged. Do not continue to drive.
- Seek professional assistance if it is not
possible to repair the tire with the tire
sealant.
(D Tips
- Do not operate the electric air pump for
more than 8 min utes without stopping,
otherwise it can overheat. When the air
pump has cooled down, you can continue
to use it.
- If sealant has escaped, allow it to dry,
then you can peel it off.
Final check
After driving for a short distance, t ire pressure
must be checked .
• After driving for about 10 minutes, stop
and check the t ire pressure .
• If tire pressure is still at least 1.3 bar, in­
flate the tire to specified p ressure (see driv­
er's side B-pillar), drive to the next repair shop and have the tire and the sealant
bot­
tle replaced.
• If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar, the t ire
is too severely damaged. Do not continue to
drive. Seek professional assistance.
.&_ WARNING
If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar after
driving for 10 minutes, the tire is too se­
ve rely damaged. Do not continue to drive.
Seek professional assistance.
(D Tips
After a tire repair, have the sealant bottle
replaced at a dealership. This restores full
functionality to the Tire Mobility System .
What should I be
aware of when
changing a tire?
Tires with unidirectional tread design
-
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed the
right direction.
A unidirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewall, which point in the direc­
tion of the rotation. You must follow the
specified direction of rotation. This is necessa­
ry in order for these tires to develop their op­
timum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear, and hydroplaning .
· Anti-theft wheel bolts
A special adopter is needed to turn the anti­
theft wheel bolts.
Fig . 156 A nti-theft wheel bolts wit h adapte r