2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER low oil pressure

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Safety belt
•
Check engine oil level
¢page 14
¢page 18
ii
Generator./
Engine oil sensor malfunction
¢page 14
¢page 18 '
D
Engine oil pressure too low
•
Battery voltage too h igh or too low
¢page 14
¢page 18
Engine coolant level too low/
II
Low fuel level
engine coolant temperature too
¢page 18
high¢ page 15
m
Windshield washer fluid level low
Yellow indicator lights ¢ page 18
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 ma lfunc-
~:)
Defective light bulb
tion -Warning!
¢page 18
11
Convertib le top ope ration
•
USA model s: Defective brake light
¢page 15
¢page 18
I]
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) ./
6
Canada models: Defective brake
¢page 16 light¢ page 18
-
I
Electronic Stab ility Control (ESC) ./
m
Light/rain sensor defe ctive (a utomat-
¢ page 16 ic headlights)* defective ¢ page 19
~ USA models: anti-lock brake system
(ABS) ./ defective ¢ page 16
B
Audi magnetic ride
¢page 19
•
Canada model s: anti-lock brake sys-
E
Rear spoiler./
tern (ABS)./ de fec tive ¢
page 16
¢page 19
•
Worn brake pads
~
USA model s: Speed warning 1
¢page 17
¢page29
g
Tire pressu re too low
•
Canada models : Speed warning 1
¢page 201
¢page29
I Tire pressure monitoring system
~
USA models: Speed warning 2 111115' 200
¢ page
¢page29
rm
Electronic power con trol ./
Canada models : Speed warning 2 ¢page 17
•
¢page29
B
USA models: Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL)¢
page 17 Selector lever defective*
No reverse gear*
g
Canada models: Ma lfunction lndica-¢page 19
tor Lamp (MIL) ¢ page 17 ffl;O Clutch is overheating*
.,
Engine speed limitation* ¢page 19
¢page 17
R
Gearbox malfunction*
¢page 19

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Dr ive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake ap­ plicat ion.
- Canada models: If both, the brake warn­
ing light . and the ABS warning light
Ii] come on at the same t ime, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident. Have you r vehicle repaired im­
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a q ualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake application
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake re leased, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the brake flu id reservo ir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
med iately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer o r qualified work­
shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need g reater
pressure on the b rake peda l to s top your
vehicle. Do no t re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond with maxim um stopping power
in critical situations . You must allow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
~ / ! .!r Safety systems
The I (USA models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
a ir bags, pretensioners a nd illum inates for a
few seconds each time you switc h the ign ition
on.
If the
I (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates w hile you are driv ing, or if it sta rts to
b link , then there is a ma lf u nction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illuminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
i mmediately. Othe rwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acc i­
dent.
4 Safety belt warning light
App lies to veh icles : w ith safe ty belt warni ng l ig h t
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts .
The warning lig ht . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignition is sw itched on as a re ­
minder to fasten you r safety belt .
Additional informat ion on safety belts
r::> page 101.
D Generator '
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light i llum inates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
whi le you are driving, you sho uld contact your
authorized Aud i dea le r. Since the vehicle bat­
tery is discharging, you shou ld sw itch
off any
unnecessary electr ica l consumers (for exam ­
ple, the air conditioner) .
~ Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbo l appears in the d isplay and
flashes, the o il pressure is too low . In add ition
to the symbol, the following message a lso ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pre ssure is too low
.. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
.. Shut the engine down.
.. Check the engine oil leve l¢
page 174.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
~ Cont act your a uth orized Audi dea ler fo r as -
s istance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If th e e ngine o il level is too low, to p off o il to
the prope r leve l
¢page 174 .
Engine oil level OK
If th e . symbol sta rts flas hing again even
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
d ipst ick ,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
In stea d, con­
t a ct your author ized A udi de aler for assis­
tance.
@ Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev ­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals , preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
1/1 requires oil refill or workshop serv ­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning symbol.
starts to flash before you respond to
the low oil level warning
Ill. By then,
your engine may already have suffered
serious damage.
-L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in th e engine cooling system
must b e re paired as so on as possibl e.
W hen th e . symbol in t he d isp lay flashes,
the n either the eng in e coolan t
temperature is
too h igh, or the coo lant
le vel is too low . In ad­
d ition to the symbol, the fo llowing message
al so a ppe ars i n the dis pla y:
Switch off engin e and check coolant level
~ Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
~ Turn off t he e ngine.
~ Check coo lant level c> page 176.
~ Add coolant if necessa ry¢ page 177 .
~ Contin ue dr iving only after the eng ine cool­
an t war ning/ indica to r li ght goes o ut.
~ Contact yo ur autho rized A udi d eale r for as -
sistance if necessa ry .
If the engi ne coo lant level is correct, then t he
r adi ator fan may be the ca use of the mal func ­
tion .
If the ge nera tor war ning/ indica to r li ght
sho uld al so illum ina te
¢ page 14 , then the
f an bel t may be d amaged .
A WARNING
-If you r vehicle should brea k dow n for
mec hanical or other reaso ns, par k at a
safe distance fr om moving traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and tu rn on the haza rd
warn ing lig hts ¢
page SO , Emergency
flash er.
-
- Never ope n the eng ine co mpartment lid
if y ou see or hea r steam o r co olant es­
cap ing from t he eng in e compar tment -
you ris k being sca lded . Wait until you can
no lon ger see o r hear steam o r coolant
esc ap ing .
- Th e engi ne co mpartm ent of a ny vehicle
i s a dange rous are a. B efo re you perf orm
an y w ork in t he engi ne c om par tm ent,
t ur n off the eng ine an d allow it to coo l.
F ollow t he war ning stickers
c> page 169,
W orking in the engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not con tinue dr iv in g if the . symbol
ill umina tes . The re is a mal func tion in the
engine c oo ling system -you could dama ge
your engine .
~ Convertible top operation
The indicator light tu rns or, f!4
-When the converti ble to p opens or closes or
- If t he conver tible to p d id no t open o r close
comp letely.
T he in dica tor light blinks if the co nvertib le top
can not open or close ¢
page 41.

will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driving and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driv ing and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restricted. Have the battery checked as soon
as poss ible by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
Dry sump lubrication
H igh lateral and long itud inal forces affect the
engine and the vehicle during sporty driving.
Dr y sump l ubr ica tion ensures that your engine
i s supplied w ith oil and properly lub ricated
even under these conditions.
I n a "normal" veh icle the oi l pump sends the
oil from the oil pan to the lubrication points in
the engine. The oil then returns to the oil pan .
I n extreme situations, the oil pump may draw
in air, which results in insufficient oil pressure.
With dry sump lubrication, the oil is not in the
oil pan (it is "d ry"), but in a separate oi l tank.
While one pump supplies the engine with oi l,
a second pump suctions the oi l out of the en­
g ine and returns it to the oil tank . Because the
oil tank is ta ll and narrow, o il pressure is con­
stant even under extreme conditions.
In addition, the oil pan in vehicles with dry
sump lubrication is noticeably sha llower. Th is
allows the engine to be installed lower in the
vehicle, bringing down the center of gravity .
This improves your vehicle's handling .
Intelligent technology 149
•
•

-Have you r vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendat ions in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the Emission Control Sys­
tem and could lead to damage.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
your vehicle, you can he lp ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessarily during sporty driv ­
ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is driven at a maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM
(Vl0 engine) or 7000 RPM (V8 engine) in or­
der to raise the engine oil temperature to a minimum of 140 °F (60 °(). The tires also on­
ly reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can continue to run in your ve­ hicle after the engine is switched
off. H owev­
er, driving the vehicle to cool it down is part ic­
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the exhaust system, and
the t ransm ission all become extreme ly hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you shou ld d rive
it for a few mi les/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to coo l down .
Driving on a track
Before you take your vehicle out on a track,
ensure that it is in perfect condition. For ex­
ample, you should check the tire tread and the brake pads . It is best to increase t ire pressure
by about 0 .3 bar .
When driving on a track, oil consumption may be somewhat higher than in "normal" opera­
tion
¢ page 17 4 .
You shou ld definitely inspect your vehicle af­
ter subjecting it to severe condit ions. Are the
brake pads OK? Is there anything unusual
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 151
about the ti res, including the inner and outer
sidewa lls (e.g . tread, blistering)? Are the air
intakes free of leaves and tire dust? Is the o il
l evel OK?
Your authorized Audi dea ler or qua lified work­
shop will be happy to undertake an inspection
before and after use on the race track.
_& WARNING
-
Some race tracks (e.g. steeply banked
turns) may affect the response of the ESC.
(D Tips
- Review the track requirements and con­
ditions before you start driving.
- When driven on a race track, all vehicle
parts are severe ly stressed. This can re­
sult in increased wear.
Operation and maintenance
Fuel economy, env ironmenta l impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires la rgely
depend on three facto rs:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
By havi ng your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
a uthorized Aud i dea le r helps to ens ure that i t
runs properly and economica lly. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
f u el
consumption .
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before yo u can p rope rly
assess oil consumpt io n.
Th is also app lies to fue l consumption and en-
gine o utp ut.
IJll>
•
•

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.
•
•

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. .,..