2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER load capacity

10 Instrum ents a nd warning /indic ato r li ghts
Stop the vehicl e, sw itch the engin e off and
allo w it to coo l.
If the warning light comes on
again after driving a short distance, contact
an authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always observe the warning in
¢ page 169, Working in the engine
compartment
before open ing the engine
compartment lid and checking the en­
gine coo lant level.
- Never open the engine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam, or if you see en­
gine coo lant dr ipping from the eng ine
compar tment. You could bur n yourse lf.
Let the engine coo l
off first so that you
cannot hear or see any steam or engine
coolant.
CD Note
- Mounting additional lights or accesso ries
in front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
ing effect of the radiator . At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat .
- The front spoi ler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Aud i dea ler for
ass istance.
Fuel gauge
The fuel ga uge works only when the ignition is
on. When the needle reaches the red area, the
warning light in the instrument cluster will i l­
luminate
c::> page 18 Ii}']. This means you
have approximately 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of
fuel left in the tank.
Time to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed
in
Te chnic al d ata c::> page 217 .
CD Note
Never run the tank comple tely d ry! An ir­
regular supply of fue l can cause engine misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex­
haust system. The catalytic converter
could then overheat and be damaged.
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle
speed, and the odometer shows you how
many miles (kilometers) you have driven.
F ig. 5 Speedomete r close-up: odometer display
The distance dr iven is shown in m iles (USA
models) or in kilometers (Canada mode ls) .
Lo wer odometer
The lower odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) dr iven .
Upper odom ete r (trip odometer )
The upper odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) driven since you last re­
set the odometer back to zero. You can use
this odometer when you want to keep track of
how many m iles (kilometers) you have driven
for a single tr ip or errand . The last dig it ind i­
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters) . You can set
the tr ip odometer back to zero by pressing the
I RESE T! button c::> fig. 5.
With the ign ition off, pushing of the Set/
Check button
¢ page 8, fig . 3 @ can turn on
the d isplay fie ld lighting for a few seconds .
Malfunction me ssag e
If there is a malfunct ion somewhere in the in­
strument cluster,
d EF w ill appear in the trip
odometer and w ill stay on . Contact your au ­
thorized Audi dealer to have the problem cor­ rected.

142 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express p urpose o f capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or cras h
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws res trict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough yo ur vehicle is not equ ipped wit h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of elect ron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electron ic control modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repa ir purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a sys tem fault or other
condition is sensed by a cont ro l u nit. Some of
the data then stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment .
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control increases driv­
ing stability.
F ig . 1 31 Center console with~ button
Intent and purpose
The Anti-Lock B ra ke System (ABS), Elec tronic
Differential Lo ck (EDL) and Anti-Slip Regula­
tion System (ASR) are integrated i n the Elec­
tronic Stability Control (ESC). It increases con­
tro l over the vehicle in handling conditions
close to the limit of "grip", such as when ac­
celerating and corner ing. It reduces the risk of
skidding under all road condit ions and at all
speeds and improves veh icle stability. When
road cond itions are poor, ESC makes it easier
to sta rt from a comp lete s top as we ll as accel­
era te and drive up hills. ESC sw itches on auto­
matically when yo u start the engine . It should
norma lly be activated at all times because this
ensures optimum vehicle stability .
Critical driving situations
With an overs teering vehicle ( the vehicle
tu rns too s harply and the rear wheels slide to­
ward the o utsi de of a curve), ESC primarily
brakes the outside front wheel, with an
un­
dersteering vehicle (the vehicle does not turn
sharp ly enough and pushes out of a curve) it
brakes the inside rear whee l or other addition­
al wheels. This brake inte rvent ion is accompa­
nied by noises.
If the speed of a wheel s lows down too much
relat ive to vehicle speed while braking and it
starts to lock, brake pressure to this whee l is
reduced . This adjustment process can be felt ..,.

184 Tire s and wheel s
-Ne ver mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of R t ron ic, powe r stee ring, powe r brakes,
power w indows, power sea ts, r ad io, and hea t­
e r, to the extent that these i tems are available
as facto ry -in stalled equipment (whether in ­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio o f the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
d icate a low sidewall fo r improved s teer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he part of the tire that is made o f
steel wires, wr apped o r reinforce d by p ly co rds
and that is shaped to fi t the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
compo nents in the bead.
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means t he tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted. -
If you notice un usual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicle w it h
standard equipment includ ing the max imum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coolant, a ir cond i­
ti on ing and additional weig ht o f option al
equipmen t.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at highe r inflat ion p ress ures tha n
the cor responding standard tire. Extr a load
t i r es my be i dent ified as "XL" , "xl", "E XTRA
LO AD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum tota l loaded we ight of
the vehicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code )
me ans the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not fi nd this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the lo ad r ati ng fo r a tire a t the m axi­
mum perm issib le inf lation pressure for that
ti re .

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 185
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 184, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflat ion pressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
ti res my be ident ified as "XL" , "xl", " EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~pag e 194 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
T he speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum pe rmissib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 198.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

186 Tires and wheels
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a v isual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
~ page 192, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
more informat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NH TSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires. The UTQG is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tir e will last fo r a prescribed
number of miles or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional informa­
tion to combine w ith other considerations,
such as price, brand loyalty and dea ler recom­
mendations. Under UTQG, tires are graded by
the tire manufacturers in three areas: tread­
wear, traction and temperature resistance.
The UTQG information on the tires, molded in­
to the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the ti
re meets a ll federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT . .. 2211 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2011. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in
accordance with tab le below ~
page 186)
and dividing by two.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load fo r various designated seating
capacities
I Designated seating capacity, Vehicle normal load,
number of occupants number of occupants
2 2
Normally loaded vehicle,
occupant distribution
•
2 in front

188 Tire s and wheel s
The table below lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi- cle's capacity weight and the ti
re sizes instal­
led on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(dis­
place­
ment in Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
normal load full load normal load full load condition condition condition condition
liter )
a -cylin­
der
4 .2
inder
5.2 235
/3 5 R1 9 9 1 V
XL
295 /30 R19 100V X L
305 /30 R1 9 10 2V X L
235 /35 R19 91 V X L
295 /30 R1 9 100V XL
305 /30 R19 102V X L
XL= reinfor ced
PSI
45
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, al­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on you r vehi cle w it h the
tires on your vehicle. Ma ke s ure that the ti re
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load lim its are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rati ng ("GVWR"). The G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
i ng ("GAWR") is the max imum load that can
be app lied at each o f the veh icle's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance stic ker labe l located either
on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure
labe l on your Audi lists the maximum com­
b ined weight of all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the veh icle can carry.
For the location of the tire pressure label
¢ fig. 148.
kPA PSI kPA PSI
310 45 310
41
41
kPA PSI
280 41
280 41
kPA
280
280
280
280
.&_ WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss o f ve­
h icle cont ro l, a crash o r other accident, se ­
r ious pe rsonal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t than your veh icle
was designed to car ry wi ll prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail s uddenly caus ing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
.&_ WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can lead to a serious or fatal acci­
dent.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle.
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, ca using loss of veh icle cont ro l.

192 Tires and wheels
cargo and lugg age load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs . (1400-750
(5
X 150) = 650 lb s.)
5. De termine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely exceed the a vailable cargo
and luggage lo ad capacity
c alcul ated in Step
4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a tr ailer , load from your trail­
er w ill be tran sferred to your
vehi cle . Consult this manual
to determine how thi s re­
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,. Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 193 , fig. 151) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
diff erent things i ncluding prop er installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv ·
ing s tyle.
Fig. 150 T ire tread: trea d wea r ind icators (TWI)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI )
The orig inal tires on yo ur vehi cle ha ve
1/ 16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wear indic ators"
¢ fig . 150 ru nning acro ss the tread . Depend·
ing on the ma ke , t here will be six to e ight of
them even ly placed aro und the tire . Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) ind icate the pos itions of the tread
wea r indica to rs. Wor n tires must be replaced .
Different figures may apply in othe r countries
¢ .&_ .
Tire pressure
Incor rect t ire pressure causes premature wea r
and can cause sudde n tire blow-out . For this
reason, tire pressu re must be checked at least
o nce a month
¢ page 189 .
Driving style
Driving fast around c urves, heavy accele rat ion
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new ve hicles are balance d.
However, va rious s ituations dur ing eve ryday
driv ing can cause them to become unbal·
anced, resulting in vib rations you can usually
feel th rough the steer ing whee l.
Un balanced w hee ls m ust be rebalance d to
avo id excessive wear on steering, suspension
and t ires. A whee l must also be reba lanced
whe n a new tire is insta lled.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incor rect wheel alig nment can cause exces ­
s ive tire wear , impa iring the sa fety of the vehi ­
cle.
If tires show excessive wear, have the
whee l alignment chec ked by an authoriz ed
Audi deal er or qualified wo rksh op.
All-wheel drive
Only the wheel/ti re sizes specif ied by the
manufacture r may be used on veh icles with
all-wheel d rive. For details see
c::> page 147.

216 Genera l inform ation
designated seating position) and luggage
w eight .
Gross Axle W eight Rating
The Gross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q _& .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max . load) is list­
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar.
A WARNING
- T he actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex­
ceed the permissible weights, and thei r
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing.
- Exceeding permissib le weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage , accidents and
personal injury .
(D Note
-The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage) . When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possible so that the vehi­
cle's handling is not impa ired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the max imum gross vehicle
weight . Always remember that the vehi ­
cle's handling will be affected by the ex­
tra load . Therefore, adjust your speed ac­
cord ingly.
- Always observe loca l regu lations .
Dimensions
.
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod­
e l type and options ordered, for example, tire
si zes.
Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough
roads , ove r curbs, etc. it is important to re -member that some pa
rts of your vehicle,
such as spoi lers or exhaust system compo­
nents, may be close to the ground. Be
careful not to damage them .