2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER ignition

1 7 6 Che cking and filling
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Checking the engine coolant level
Proceed carefully when checking the coolant.
Fig . 1 43 Co nvert ible top: se rv ice pos it ion
F ig . 14 4 Convert ib le top storage bay: coolant expan·
sio n tank
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment,
a lwa ys r ead and heed all WARN ­
INGS ¢.&.. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
169 and park your vehicle on a
level surface .
The coolant expansion tank is located in the right s ide of the convertible top storage bay
under the round metal cover¢
fig. 144 . The
convertible top must be in the service position
to check the coolant leve l
¢fig . 143 .
Bringing the closed con ve rtible top into
th e s ervic e position
~ Switch the ignition on .
~ Pull and hold the convert ible top switch .
~ Press and hold the rear window switch too
u nti l the convertib le top moves into the
service position¢
fig. 143.
Bringing the op en conv ertible to into the
service position
~ Switch the ignition on.
~ Press and hold the convertible top switch.
~ Press and hold the rear window switch too
until the convertible top moves into the
service position¢
fig . 143 .
Opening the coolant e xpan sion tank cover
~ Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
~ Switch the ignition off.
~ Carefully remove the bolts in the cover (D
using a screwdriver and remove the cover.
The coolant reservoir is located below
¢fig. 144.
Chec king the engine cool ant level
~ Place a rag or cloth on the cap of the cool­
ant expansion tank and turn the cap
careful­
ly
to the left (counter-clockwise) ¢ .&_.
~ Read the coolant level inside the coolant ex­
pans ion tank ¢
fig. 144 . With a co ld engine,
it must be above the "min" mark. With a hot
eng ine, it can be a little above the indicated
range.
T o obtain an accu rate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion ta nk in your vehicle is equ ipped
with an electric coo lant level sensor
¢page 15. We still recommend you check the
c oolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
i ng system shou ld be inspected immediately
by your aut horized Audi dea ler. It is not
eno ugh me rely to add coolant.
In a
s ea le d system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.

Winter operation
The cold time of year places a special strain on
the battery, resulting in reduced starting pow­
er. So before the cold weather starts, have the battery inspected and charged as necessary.
A WARNING
-All work on the battery requires technical knowledge. Please contact an authorized
Audi dealer or another authorized facility
for questions about the battery -danger
of acid burns and explosion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery- explosion hazard!
Working on the battery
®
~
I
@
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric
acid. Always wear gloves and eye
protection.
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
When a battery is charged, it pro­
duces hydrogen gas which is ex­ plosive and could cause personal
injury.
Always keep the battery well out
of reach of children.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection . Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Checking and filling 179
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get medical attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the elec­ trical system, switch off the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
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180 Checking and filling
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­ ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables -th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery . It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be rep laced. A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32 °F
(0 °C).
- Make su re the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
t ery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
Dange r of explos ion! A lways rep lace a
damaged batte ry.
& WARNING
C alifornia Propos ition
65 Warning:
- Battery posts, te rm inals and related ac­
c essories cont ain le ad and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to ca use cancer and re produc ­
t ive p roblems . Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do no t disconnect the vehi cle bat tery
when the ignition is switched on or when
t h e engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage e lectronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is go ing to stand for a
l ong period of time witho ut being driven,
protect the battery from "free zing", ot h­
erwise it w ill be damaged and w ill then
have to be replaced . Charging the battery
Connec
tions for charging the battery are lo­
cated in the luggage compartment.
F ig . 14 5 Lugg age co mpar tment : ba ttery cove r
Fig. 146 Lu ggage co mpa rtm en t: c onn ecto rs fo r a
c h arger a nd ju mp start c ables
Do not connect the negative c able direct ly to
the negative terminal on the battery . Connect
it to a
jump sta rt p in instead c:, fig . 146 .
.,. Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS c;, .&.
in Working on the battery on page 179 and
¢ .&_ .
.,. Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers .
.,. Open the luggage compa rtment lid
c:> page37 .
.,. Remove the batte ry cove r c:, fig. 145.
.,. Connec t the terminal clamps from t he
charger to the batte ry te rminal (red = "posi­
tive") and the jump start pin
c:, fig . 146
(black or brown= "negative") as specified .
.,. On ly now plug the mains lead for the charg­
ing equ ipment into the wa ll outlet and turn
it on .
.,. When the battery is fully cha rged : Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the
ma ins lead from the wall out let .
.,. Now remove the cla mps fo r the ch arg ing
equ ipment.

Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 163 Passenger's s ide wheel well: Foot rest w ith
fuse arrangement
The fuses are located in the footwell area on
the passenger's side behind a cover.
• Turn off the ignition and the affected e lec­
trical consumers .
• Check the following table to see which fuse
belongs to the consumer.
• Remove the floor mat .
• Fold the foot rest back
¢ fig. 163.
• Remove the clamp from the holder in the
fuse box.
• Remove the fuse using the clamp and re­
place the blown fuse w ith an identical new
one.
• Fo ld the foot rest down again .
A WARNING
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
blown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec­
trical system and a fire.
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after shortly
have you have installed it, have the electri­
cal system checked by your authorized Au­
d i dealer.
Fu se s and bulb s 213
@ Tips
-The following table does not list fuse lo­
cations that are not used.
- Some of the equipment items listed are
optional or only available on certain
mode l configurations.
Fuse assignment
Fig. 164 Passenge r footwell: Fuse assignment
Fuse panel @
Con sumer
1 VOA interface
2
3
4
5
Heated windshield washer
nozzle
Parking system
Engine compartment lid re­
lease
Diagnostic interface, light
switch, indicator light
Pa s­
se nger Air Ba g OF F,
selector
lever
6 Networking gateway
Amp s
5
5
5
10
10
5

General information Explanation of
technical data
Som e of t he technical data listed in this man ­
ual require further explanation.
The technical data for your vehicle are listed in
the charts starting on
Q page 217. This chap­
t e r p rovides general informa tion, notes and
r estr ictions wh ich app ly to these data .
Vehicle identification
The key data are given on the vehicle identifi­
cat io n number
(V IN) pla te and the vehicle da­
ta sticker.
Fig. 1 65 Vehicle I dent ificat ion Num ber {VlN) p la te: lo ­
cation o n driver's side dash pa nel
Fi g. 16 6 The ve hicle identi fication label -in the foot­
well on the passenger's side
The Vehicle Identification Number (VlN)
is located on the d river's side so tha t it is v is i­
b le from the outsi de throug h the windshield -
see
c!) fig. 165. You can also disp lay the Vehi ­
cle Ident ificat ion Number of your vehicle in
the Driver Information display
Q page 25.
General inform ation 215
The vehicle identification label
is lo cated wi th the fuses in t he footwe ll on the
passenger 's side
Q page 213 .
The label c!) fig. 166 shows th e fo llow ing vehi­
cl e data :
(D Product ion cont ro l No .
@ Vehicle identific ation No.
@ Type code number
© Type designat ion/engine o utput in K ilo-
wat ts
® Engine and transm ission code letter
® Pa int No./lnterior
0 Option al eq uipment No.'s
Vehicle data are al so fo und in your Wa rranty
& Ma intenance boo klet .
The safety compliance sticker is your assurance that your new vehicle com­
plies with all applicable Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards which were in effect at the
time the ve hicle was manufactur ed . You can
find this sticke r o n the left doo r jamb.
It
sh ows the month an d ye ar of pro duction and
t he ve hicl e ident ifi cat io n number of yo ur vehi ­
cle (perforation) as well as the G ross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVW R) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR).
The high voltage warning label
i s lo cate d on the lock ca rrie r.
The spark ignition system complies with
the Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
T he Gro ss Vehicle Weigh t Rat ing (GVWR), and
t he Gross Axle We igh t Rati ng (GAWR) for
fron t and rear are listed on a sticker on the
l eft door jamb .
T he Gro ss Vehicle Weigh t Rat ing incl udes the
weight of the bas ic vehicle plus f ull fuel t ank,
oi l and coo lant, plus maximum load, which in­
cludes passen ger we ight (150 lbs./68 kg per .,..

220 Consumer Inf ormation
steadi ly reduced the scope of maintenance
and repairs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Als o, sa fe ty a nd en vir onm ent al con­
cerns place very strict limits on the nature of
repairs and adjustments to engine and trans­
miss ion parts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repa irs usua lly
require special tools, testing devices and oth­
er equipment available to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure proper pe rformance, reliab ility and safety of the vehi­
cle and its many systems.
Improper maintenance, adjustments and re­
pa irs can impair the operation and reliab ility
of your vehicle and even void your vehicle war­
ranty. Therefore, proof of servic ing in accord­
ance w ith the ma intenance schedule may be a
condition for upholding a poss ible warranty
claim made within the warranty period.
Above all, operational safety can be adversely
affected, c reating unnecessary risks for you
and your passengers.
If in doubt about any se rv icing, have it done
by your author ized Audi dealer or any other
p roperly equipped and qualified workshop.
We strong ly urge you to give yo ur autho rized
Audi dealer the opportunity to perfo rm all
schedu led maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dea ler has the facilities, original parts
and trained specialists to keep your vehicle
running properly.
Performing limit ed m aint enance yours elf
The following pages describe a limited num­
ber of proced ures which can be performed on
your vehicle with ordinary too ls, shou ld the
need arise and trained personnel be unavaila­
ble. Before performing any of these proce­
dures, always thoroughly read all of the app li­
cable text and carefully follow the instruc­
tions given . Always rigorously obse rve the
WARNINGS p rovided.
Before you ch eck anything in th e eng ine
co mpartm ent , alway s re ad and h eed all
WA RNINGS
c::> .&. and c::> ..&. in Working in the
engine compartment on page 169.
A WARNING
- Serious personal injury may occur as a re­
sult of improperly performed mainte­
nance, adjustments or repa irs.
- Always be extremely careful when work­
ing on the vehicle. Always follow com­
monly accepted safety pract ices and gen­
eral common sense. Never r is k personal
injury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs descr ibed on the fol­
lowing pages if you are not fu lly fam iliar
with these or other procedures with re ­
spect to the vehicle, or are uncertain how
to proceed .
- Do not do any work without the proper
too ls and equipment. Have the necessa ry
work done by your author ized A udi deal­
er or another proper ly equipped and
qualified workshop.
- Always remove the ignition key before
anyone gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your veh icle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work under­
neath the vehicle. The jack* is not ade­
quate for this purpose and cou ld collapse
causing ser ious personal inju ry.
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, a lways
make sure the vehicle is on level ground,
that the wheels a re a lways secure ly
b locked and that t he engine cannot be
s tarted.
- Always make sure the transmission se­
lec to r l ever is in
"N" (Neut ral) (R t ron ic)
or Neutral (manual transmission) and
the hand bra ke is f irmly app lied.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Changing the engine sett ings will ad­
verse ly affect emission leve ls. Th is is det­
r imental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumpt ion .
- Always observe environmenta l regu la­
tions when disposing of old eng ine oil,
used brake flu id, dirty engine coo lant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.

Fuses
Assignment . ......... ......... ... 213
Replacing .. ..... ........ .. .. .. .. . 213
G
Garage door opener (HomeLink ®) ... .. .. 88
Gearshift lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Generator Warning/indicator lights ..... .. .. .. .. 14
Glossary of tire and loading termino logy 184
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Gross Veh icle Weight Rating (GVWR) .. . 215
H
Headlight
Defective .. .. .............. ... .... 18
H eadlig ht flasher .......... .. .. .. .. .. 51
Headlights .. .. ........... .. .. .. .... 49
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 94
Ad justing .. .. ............ ... .. .... 94
H eated
Exterior mirrors ............ .. .. .. .. 57
Rear window defogger ..... .. .. .. .. .. 69
Seats . ..... .. .............. ... .... 69
Washer jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
H eating ... .. .. .. ......... .. .. .. .... 65
High beam. .. ............. .... .. 49, 51
H igh voltage warning label ........... 215
H ill hold ass ist
Starting on hills ............. .... ... 73
Homelink ® universal remote control . . . . 88
Horn ... .. .. .. ............... .. .. .. . 6
H ow many airbags does my vehicle have? 116
How often shou ld I check my tire pres-
sures? .... .. .. .. ......... .. .. .. ... 189
H ow safe ty belt pretensioners work ... . 107
Hydroplaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
I
Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
I mmobilizer . .... ......... .... .. .. .. 10
Important things to do before driving . .. 91
Improperly worn safety belts . . . . . . . . . . 106
Index 227
Indicator light
Airbag system ... .. ............... 120
Audi magnet ic r ide . .. ............... 19
Clutch overheating ................. . 19
Convertible top .. .... ............. . 15
No reverse gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ... .... .... 120
Se lector lever defective .............. 19
Indicator lights .. .. .... ........... .. . 11
Red symbols in the center display ... .. . 11
Yellow symbols in the center display .. . 12
also refer to Warning/indicator lights .. 11
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Installing child safety seats
Safety belts ... .. ................. 138
Instrument cluster and controls ......... 8
Instrument panel illumination ........ . S2
Instruments and controls
General illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Interior lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Intermittent wiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
]
Jump -starting ... .... ............... 209
K
Key ...... .. .. .. .. .. ............... . 32
Battery replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Emergency key ..... ................ 32
Key replacement ... .............. .. 32
Remote master key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Kick-down R tronic ..... .. .. ............... .. . 80
Knee a irbags ...... .. ............... 124
Description .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 124
How they work ....... ........... .. 125
Important safety instructions .... .. .. 126
L
Lap timer
Deleting total results ........... .. .. . 29
Displaying split time ........... .... . 28
Ending timing ... .. .............. .. 29
Evaluating times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Interrupting timing ...... ...... ..... 28
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