2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER ESP

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.
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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. .,..

160 Cleaning and protection
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior leather.
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­
al characteristics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect
bites, skin folds, and subtle variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
l eather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable. This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in daily use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, this does not mean that the leather itself is of inferior quality.
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soil­ ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care- ful
with these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required . For example, dark clothing
materials can discolor leather seats (especial ­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather should be cleaned regularly as needed. After having been used for a relatively
long time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendat ions below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from bleaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
(D Tips
-After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather preser­
vative creme that contains UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme will nourish and moisturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay
supple .
It also helps to build up a protec­
tive coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled .
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a spec ial colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color .

Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natu ral leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention.
Norm al cleaning
.,. Cle an soiled areas w it h a slightly mo istened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubb orn d irt
.,. More stubborn dirt can b e re moved using a
cloth saturated with a m ild soap so lution (2
tablespoons m ild liquid soap).
.,. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
.,. Wipe off the soap solut ion with a soft, dry
clo th .
Cl eaning spots
.,. Remove fresh wa ter-b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.,. Remove fresh
gr ease or o il-based spot s
(such as b utter, mayonnaise , chocolate) wi th
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet p enetrated into the surface
of the leathe r.
.,. Use an oil/grease dissolv ing spray, if
oil /
gr ease spot s hav e dr ied on.
.,. Remove spec ific kinds of spots (ballpo int
pen, felt marker, fingernail polish , water­
based paint, shoe polish, etc.) with a spot
remove r spec ifi cally formulated for leather .
Leather care
.,. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (ava ilable from your authorized Au ­
di dealer) to care for the leather .
.,. Apply the p roduct very spa ring ly.
.,. Wipe it off wi th a damp cloth .
If you have any questions about cleaning and
car ing for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
fu ll range of leather care products, s uch as:
Cleaning and protec tion 16 1
-Leather cleaning and care kit
- Cremes to care for colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oi l/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
r:!vpage 153.
@ Note
- Never use chemical so lvents (e .g . lighter
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
sim ilar products on the leather surfaces
in your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubbo rn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe­
c ialist.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
App lies to vehicles: wit h Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
.,. Mois ten a cloth , squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
.,. Moisten a cloth with lukewarm wate r or
w ith d iluted
e th yl (rubbing ) alcohol.
.,. Dab at the stain . Start at the outs ide and
work i nwards .
.,. Once the sta in is no longer v is ible , use a
soft dry cloth or tissue to soak up the mo is ­
ture.
Do no t use leather cleaning prod ucts on A l­
cantara .
You may use a suitab le shampoo for remov ing
dust and di rt.
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface .
If the car is
left stand ing in the sun for long per iods, the
Alcanta ra covers should be protected aga inst
direc t sun light to prevent it from fad ing.
Slight co lor va riations will develop in normal .,.. •
•

162 Cleaning and protection
use and are not an indication of material
deterioration.
(U;) Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
fluid , turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercial cleaning spe­
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim­ ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly.
• Keep belts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let belts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety bel ts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg ­
ularly .
_& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 153.
1) Use o nly the co rrect cle anin g so lu ti on s. Never use gas­
o lin e or die se l fuel.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Corrosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage .
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle should be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­ sion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
¢page 169.
-Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, always remove the ignition key .
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could unintentionally be switched on,
possibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ignition is
off.

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 165
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec ­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed in ­
structions see
¢ page 167.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­ hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 217.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
¢ page 164.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l­
ing vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
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•

-For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
fuel container in your vehicle. The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire , especially in a crash .
-If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the trunk) . Static electrici­
t y can build up while filling and can ig­
nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling .
- Always keep the filler nozzle complete­
ly inside the portable container before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be
in contact with the container . This will
help prevent static electricity from dis­
charging and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provin­
cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel containers
- Make certain the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F852-86).
(D Note
I f any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immediately to prevent
damage to the paint.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle switches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add
more fuel because fuel may spill out. In
addition, the expansion space in the fuel
tank will be filled -causing the fuel to
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 167
overflow when it becomes warm and pol­
lute the environment.
a) Tips
- Running your engine while refueling may
cause vapors to escape or even fuel to
spill out of the tank. This would then
shut off the fuel nozzle before the tank
is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the igni­
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may
otherwise not indicate the correct fuel
level after refueling .
Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking sy stem should fail .
Fig. 135 En gin e compar tment: loo sening the fue l fill er
fl ap cab le
Fig. 136 Engine compar tment: re lea sing the fuel fille r
flap using the emer gen cy re le ase
You can release the fuel filler flap using a red
emergency release loop .
It is located in the
right side of the engine compartment.
.. Open the engine compartment lid.
.. Loosen the fuel filler flap cable from its
mount @ on the crossmember
~ fig. 135 . liJJ,,

Checking and filling Engine compartment
lid
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling the different fluids, there is a risk
of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a ha zardous area!
¢ &. .
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the engine compartment lid:
- Switch off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. Wait un­
til no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before carefully opening the en­
gine compartment lid.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
Checking and filling 169
-If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available .
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in ­
jury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will
hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards¢& .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
•
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