2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER ESP

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury !
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their" previous histo ­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Tires and wheels 193
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 151 Tir e specifica tion codes on t he s idew all o f a
t ir e
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal w idth of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S . DOT tire identification number
® Audi Origina l tire
® Severe snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•

dealer will g ladly provide you with more
information.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- T emperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the ti re side wa ll between tread shoulde r
and maximum section wid th ¢ page 193,
fig. 151 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Tract ion AA ,
Temperatu re A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requi rements in addition to these
grad es.
Tread we ar
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iv ing habits, serv­
i ce practices and differences in road character­
i stics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r controlled cond it ions on
spec ified gove rnment test su rfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire ma rked C may h ave po or
t ra ction perfo rm ance¢ &..
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and C, repr ese nting the t ire's resistance to
the gene rat io n of heat and its ab ility to dissi-
Tire s an d wheel s 197
pate heat when tested under controlled condi ­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
whee l.
Sustaine d high temperature can cause the
mater ia l of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive tempe rat ure ca n lead
to s udden tire failure ¢ &. .
T he gr ade C correspon ds to a level of pe rform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet u nder the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No . 109 . Grades Band A represent higher
l evels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accele rat ion,
cor neri ng, hy droplaning or peak t ra ction
ch aracte rist ics.
A WARNING
T he temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablishe d for a tire that is properly inf lated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, e it h er
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. T hese tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that a re the same si ze and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires . Howev-
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always ..,.
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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.
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218 Data
Dimensions
I
Length (with license plate bracket)
W idth
W idth (across mirrors)
He ight (unloaded)
T ur ning circle diameter (curb to curb) RB Spyder 4.2
quattro
4 434 mm (ap­
prox . 174.6 in)
1 9 04 mm (app rox . 7 5. 0
i n)
2029 mm (ap ­
prox. 80.0 in)
1244 mm (ap­
p ro x. 49.0 in)
1 1.80 m (ap­
prox . 38. 7
ft)
When dr iv in g up steep ramps, on rough roads,
ove r curbs, e tc. it is impo rt a nt to remembe r
that some parts o f your ve hicl e, such as spoil­
e rs or exhaust sys tem components, may be
close to the ground . Be ca reful not to damage
them.
T his applies espe cially to ve hicles w ith a low
chassis (sports chassis) an d when the vehicle
is fully loade d.
Capacities (approx.)
Fuel tank
RB RB
Spyder Spyder
4.2 5 .2
quattro quat- tro
Total capacity ga l/ 21.1/8 21.1/8
li ters
0 0
Reserve (of tota l
gal/ 2 .6/10 2 .6/10
capacity) liters
Windshield washer system Winds hield wash -qua rts app rox. 4.2/4.0
er fluid /liters RB Spyder 5
.2
quattro
4 434 mm (ap­
prox. 174.6 in)
190 4 mm (approx. 75. 0 i n)
2029 mm (approx. 80.0 in)
1
1244 mm (approx. 49.0 in)
11.80 m (appro x. 38. 7
ft)

Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Con trol Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran ­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane
rating . Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement parts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessari ly work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside of North America.
Consumer Information 219
@ Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Lit ­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service Manuals and liter­
atu re are availabl e to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
https: //www.a udi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
' General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
safety, economy and rel iability . For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
in very dusty regions, etc., some service work
shou ld be pe rformed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air fi lter.
@ For the sake of the environment
By regu larly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus min imizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
T he increasing use of electron ics, soph isticat­
ed fuel injection and emission control sys­
tems, and the generally increasing technica l
complexity of today's automobiles, have ..,_
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222 Consumer Information
malfunctions. Because of the way electronic
components are interconnected with each
other, such malfunctions can also have an ad­
verse affect on other systems that are not di­
rectly involved. This means that you risk both
a substantial reduction in the operational
safety of your vehicle and an increased wear of
vehicle parts~.&, .
Authorized Audi dealers will perform this
work in a professiona l and competent manner
or, in special cases, refer you to a professional
company that specializes in such mod ifica­
tions.
_& WARNING
Improper repairs and modifications can
change the way vehicle systems work and
cause damage to the vehicle and serious
personal injury .
(D Note
If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealership as soon as
possible.
-
Declaration of Compliance, Telecommu­
nication or Electronic Systems
Radio Frequency Devices and Radiocommuni­
cation Equipment User Manual Notice.
The manufacturer is not responsible for any
radio or TV interference caused by unauthor­
ized modifications to this equ ipment.
Devices
The following devices each comp ly with FCC
Part 15.19, FCC Part 15.21 and RSS-Gen Issue
1:
-Cell phone package
- El ectronic immob ilizer
- Homelink® universal remote control
- Remote control key
- Tire pressure monitoring system
FCC Part 15.19
T his device complies with part 15 of the FCC
Rules. Operation is subject to the fo llowing
two conditions :
(1) This device may not cause harmful inter­
ference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation.
FCC Part 15.21
CAUTION:
Changes or modifications not expressly ap­
proved by the party responsible for compli­
ance could vo id the user's authority to operate
the equipment.
RSS-Gen Issue 1
Operation is subject to the following two con­
ditions:
(1) this device may not cause interference,
and
(2) this device must accept any interfe rence ,
i ncl uding interference that may cause unde­
sired operation of the device .