2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER ignition

148 Intelligent technology
Dynamic energy management
While th e veh icle is be ing dr iven , dynamic en­
e rgy management distributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components . It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
t han is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery .
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are li mited .
- If starting ab ility is threatened, you are
i nformed by a warn ing
<=> page 148,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
d riving, in city traffic and duri ng the co ld time
of year. Abu ndant e lectr ica l energy is re­
qu ired, but only a little is g ene rated . It is also
cr itica l if t he engine is not run ning and ele ct ri­
cal componen ts ar e turned on. In th is in ­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generate d.
It is in precisely these si tua tions that you w ill
notice energy management actively regula t­
ing the distrib ution o f energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elect rical compo­
n ents are grad ually cu t back o r swi tched off .
This redu ce s energy cons umption and mai n­
tains s ta rting cap abili ty over a longer period .
T a ke into considerat ion tha t when you u nlock
your ve hicle, some co nvenience func tions,
such as the remote key or power sea t adj ust ­
men t, may not be available. The convenience
f u nctions will be avai lable again when you
turn on th e ignition and start the engine. With the engine turned off
If you
listen to the radio, for examp le, w it h
t h e engine t urned off, the battery is being dis­
c h arged .
If starti ng capab il ity is jeopard ized d ue to en­
ergy consu mptio n, a mess age a ppea rs in the
drive r informa tion d isplay .
You have to start t he engine to charge the
ba tte ry.
With the engine running
Althoug h electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being d riven, the battery can be ­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
li ttle energy is being ge ne rated and a g reat
deal consumed a nd t he battery's state of
c h arge is not opt imal.
To b ring the energy bala nce back into equ ili­
br iu m , consume rs wh ich req uire espe cially
l ar ge amounts of ene rgy a re temporar ily cu t
ba ck or sw itched o ff. H ea ting systems in par ­
t icu lar require a grea t deal of energy . If you
not ice, for examp le, that the heated seatsat or
the heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut back or switched
off . These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the e ne rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . T hi s is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine id le
speed the additional energy required is gener ­
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If bat tery power drops in to the range where i t
can limit the ability of the engi ne to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•] Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T h is not ifi cat io n r eminds yo u that t he start ing
ca pabili ty of the engi ne may be lim ite d. As
soon as you s tart dr iv ing again, the battery .,..

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 .

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.
•
•

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.

166 Fuel suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank
transport fue l to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
AS TM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely dry. The irregular supply of
fuel can cause misfir ing. Gasoline cou ld
e nte r into the exhaust system and damage
the cata lytic conve rter.
Refueling
Fig. 133 D river 's doo r: Unlocki ng fuel filler flap
Fig. 134 Fuel cap hooked on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellu­
lar phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off .
Tak ing th e fuel cap off
• To open the fuel filler flap, press the button
9fig. 133.
• Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap ¢
fig. 134 .
Refueling procedure
• Insert the f uel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fi ller neck as far as it wi ll
go .
• Select a med ium refueling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting th e fu el cap bac k on
• After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise until you hear a definite click.
• Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly and completely. An improperly closed fuel fi ll­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 22
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Fai lure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to ove r­
flow. F ue l spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a ce llular telephone while re­
fue ling. The electromagnet ic rad iat io n
can cause spa rks that can igni te fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle whi le re­
fue ling.
If in exceptio nal circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
ref ueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
re leased d uring refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any­
where in o r near your veh icle when refu­
eling or filling a portable fue l conta iner.

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.
•
•

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.