2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER wheel bolts

46 Convertible top
• Pull the convertible top all the way out in
the direction indicated @. Position the fins
upward at the same time.
• Press the convertible top as far forward to­
ward the windshield frame as possible
r=> fig . 52 .
Have a second person assist when positioning
the convertible top. That person should stand
on the opposite side of the vehicle and per­
form the same steps .
A WARNING
-When positioning the convertible top,
avoid contact with the supports or other
moving parts. Otherwise you could pinch
your hands .
- When pressing the convertible top down
onto the windshield frame, make sure
that you do not pinch yourself or anyone
else.
Step 6: Secure the convertible top
-
Fig. 53 Conve rtible top sto rage bay: install ing the driv ­
er
Fig. 54 Securing the co nvertible top
The convertible top must be under tension to
secure it to the windshield frame . The wheel
wrench, driver and bolts from the vehicle tool kit are required for this. Have a second person assist with this step
.
That person should stand on the opposite side
of the vehicle and perform the same steps.
• Position the driver @ on the bolt @ in the
front section of the convertible top storage
bay and rotate clockwise to install in the
threads
r=> fig. 53.
• Position the wheel wrench © with the long
end on the driver@.
• Press the convertible top as far forward as
possible toward the windsh ield frame @
with one hand
c:> fig . 54. At the same time,
pull the fins upward @ for support with the
other hand.
• Now, grasp the fins with the hand that you
used to move the convertible top forward
and hold the fins in this position . With the
other hand, turn the wheel wrench upward
until it stops @.
(0 Tips
-When pressing the convertible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated in the latch on the windshield
frame and not on the frame itself.
- When pressing the convertible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated exactly in the latch on the wind­
shield frame and not on the frame itself
This is the only way that the convertible
top can be latched correctly.

Step 7: Lock the convertible top

Fig. 55 Inner s ide of the conve rtible top: remov ing the
cap
Fig. 56 Inner s ide of the convertible top : pos it ion ing
the Allen wrench
.. Remove the cap in the center of the conver­
tib le top using the screwdriver from the ve ­
hicle tool kit¢
fig. 55. The emergency lock­
ing mechanism is located behind it.
.. Insert the Allen wrench
(D and turn the bolt
to the left@ until it is tight and the conver­
t ibl e top is locked securely ¢
fig. 56.
.,. Remove the Allen wrench from the ope ning
and cover the opening with the cap.
.,. Remove the wheel wrench from the conver­
tible top storage bay .
.. Close the convertible top storage bay lid.
A WARNING
Make sure the convert ible top is locked
correctly. Otherwise the wind from driving
could cause the convertible top to open.
This can result in injuries and damage to
the vehicle .
-
Convertible top 4 7
Step 8: Secure the fins on the body
Fig . 57 Co nvert ible top: pressing t he fins downward
Fig. 58 Interior: t ighten ing the bolt
The following steps must be performed on
both sides of the veh icle .
.. Press the fin downward firmly
~fig . 57 .
.. Hold the fin in th is position and tighten the
bolt above the seat belt -arrow- using the
Allen wrench from the veh icle tool k it at the
same time¢
fig. 58.
A second person should assist when securing
the fins to the body. Tightening the bolts is
much easier if a second person presses the
fins down.
A WARNING
-Make sure the fins lie on the body. Other -
wise the convert ible top will not lock se­
cure ly and it could open while driving. This
can resul t in in juries and damage to the
vehicle.
-

158 Cleaning and protection
You shou ld also clean the inside of the win ­
dow g lass at regular intervals.
The cloth or chamois used on paint surfaces
con tains wax res idue. Use a separa te cloth or
chamois to d ry the window glass.
Cl eaning the rear window
Aud i recommends cleaning the window us ing
a soft cotton clot h and water m ixed wi th
clean ing solution or window cleaner (1:1 mix ­
ture) . To avoid streaks, do not wipe the win­
dow dry with paper towels.
D o not use any clea ning so lutions that conta in
ammonia, acids , si licone or fl uo ride or clean­
ers that are abrasive or co uld cause sc ratches.
Do not use any alkaline cleaning solutions.
A WARNING
- The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water-repe llent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
t ion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatte r.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 153.
(D Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
sticke rs on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
r ection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Wheels
Regular care is required to preserve the deco­
rative appearance of the wheels . Road sa lt
and brake dust must be washed off regu larly
or the wheels wi ll be damaged. Use only special acid-free cleaning agents
. You
can find proper wheel cleaner at authorized
Audi dealers and specia lty stores . Do not leave
the cleaner on the wheels longer than speci­
fied. Wheel cleaners contain ing acid can dam­
age the surface of the wheel bolts .
Pa int polish or other abrasive materials must
not be used when caring for wheels . If the
protective coat ing has been damaged, from
stones for example, touch up the damage as
soon as possible.
A WARNING ,__
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
b rak ing eff ic iency -
¢ page 145, Braking.
Test the b rakes carefully after each veh i­
cle wash.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNI NGS and
the informa tion
¢page 153.
Exhaust tail pipes
-
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other abrasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Radio and navigation display
T he display may be cleaned with a soft cloth
and commercially-avai lab le "LCD cleaner".
The cloth should be coated lightly when the
cleaning solution when cleaning the display.
(D Note
To prevent scratches, only clean the dis­play when it is dry.

the wheel bolts. These are available from au­
thorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains, never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
Tires and wheels 199
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r:!> page 221.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving.
If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of ± 7 .4
ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago­
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel
and handling under a variety of driving
IJ,,
•
•

What do I do now? Trunk escape handle
Appl ies to vehicles: with trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the front lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk es­
cape handle.
.. To open the front lid pull the handle.
The trunk escape handle inside the luggage
compartment is made of fluorescent materia l
to g low in the dark.
.&_ WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only
in an emergency.
Breakdown kit
The breakdown kit consists of vehicle tool kit
and tire mobility system.
Fig. 152 Breakdown kit in luggage compartment
@ Vehicle tool kit
@ Tire mobility system c::> page 203
The breakdown kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor .
The tool kit consists of the following items :
- Hook for removing hub cap
- Lug wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- Towing eye
- Jack* (not a vehicle component; contact your
authorized Audi dealer if needed)
Before returning the jack* to its place, retract
the jack arm fully .
What do I do now ? 203
Note: some of the items listed above are pro­
vided on certain mode ls only or are optional
extras.
.&_ WARNING
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen or
tighten the wheel bolts .
- The jack* (available as a replacement
part) is intended only for your vehicle
model. Under no circumstances use it to
lift heavy vehicles o r other loads; you risk
injuring yourse lf.
- Never start or run the eng ine while the
veh icle is supported by the jack *.
- If you must work under the veh icle, al­
ways use safety stands specifically de­ signed fo r th is purpose.
- Using a bumper jack to ra ise the vehicle
wi ll damage the bumpe r system. The
jack may slip, caus ing injury.
Tire repair
General and safety pointers
Tire repair is intended only for temporary,
short-term use .
Fig. 153 Ti re damage for which the Tire Mob ility Sys ­
tem is not suited
-
Your vehicle is equipped wi th a tire repa ir k it,
the
Tire M obility Sy stem (T M S).
In the event of a t ire failure, the TM S is in the
luggage compartment under the floor.
It con ­
s ists of the tire sealan t and an elec tric air
pump.

206 What do I do now?
• Switch the electric air pump off -switch in
position
0. If the required tire pressure of at
l east 1.8 bar has not been reached, it is not
poss ible to make a repa ir with the tire seal­
ant. Seek professional ass istance.
Disassembling Tire Mobility System
• Remove the hose from the valve and pull
the p lug out of the socket .
• Screw the dust cap onto the valve.
• Place the empty sealant bottle back in the
original packaging and clip it in place under
the floor so that no tire sealant can run out into the vehicle .
• Start driving r ight away so that the sealant
is distributed in the tire.
.&_ WARNING
- Follow the manufactur er's safety instruc­
tions on the decal for the air pump and
the sea lant bott le .
- If a tire pressure of 1.8 bar cannot be
achieved after pumping for 5 minutes,
the tire is too severely damaged. Do not continue to drive.
- Seek professional assistance if it is not
possible to repair the tire with the tire
sealant.
(D Tips
- Do not operate the electric air pump for
more than 8 min utes without stopping,
otherwise it can overheat. When the air
pump has cooled down, you can continue
to use it.
- If sealant has escaped, allow it to dry,
then you can peel it off.
Final check
After driving for a short distance, t ire pressure
must be checked .
• After driving for about 10 minutes, stop
and check the t ire pressure .
• If tire pressure is still at least 1.3 bar, in­
flate the tire to specified p ressure (see driv­
er's side B-pillar), drive to the next repair shop and have the tire and the sealant
bot­
tle replaced.
• If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar, the t ire
is too severely damaged. Do not continue to
drive. Seek professional assistance.
.&_ WARNING
If tire pressure is less than 1.3 bar after
driving for 10 minutes, the tire is too se­
ve rely damaged. Do not continue to drive.
Seek professional assistance.
(D Tips
After a tire repair, have the sealant bottle
replaced at a dealership. This restores full
functionality to the Tire Mobility System .
What should I be
aware of when
changing a tire?
Tires with unidirectional tread design
-
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed the
right direction.
A unidirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewall, which point in the direc­
tion of the rotation. You must follow the
specified direction of rotation. This is necessa­
ry in order for these tires to develop their op­
timum characteristics regarding grip, road
noise, wear, and hydroplaning .
· Anti-theft wheel bolts
A special adopter is needed to turn the anti­
theft wheel bolts.
Fig . 156 A nti-theft wheel bolts wit h adapte r

208 What do I do now ?
-On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- D o not raise the vehicle u nti l yo u a re
sure the ja ck is sec urely engaged.
- P assenge rs must not rema in i n the ve­
h icl e when it is ja ck ed up.
- M ake sure t hat passengers wait in a
safe p lace away fro m the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffi c.
- M ake sur e jac k position is correct, ad­
just as necessary and then co ntinue to
r ai se the j ack .
CD Note
A floo r jack or the pads o n the hoist arms
m ust
not be posit ioned at the points
s hown
-arrows-.
Remov ing the wheel
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
F ig. 1 59 Whee l change: alignment pin inside the top
hole
Afte r you have loosened a ll wheel bolts and
ra ised the veh icle off the ground, perform the
following steps to remove a nd rep lace the
wheel :
Removing the wheel
" Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdri v­
er handle
to comp lete ly tu rn out the top­
most wheel bo lt and set it as ide on a
clean
surface. "
Sc rew the th readed end of the
alignment
pin
from th e tool kit hand-tight into t he
now vacant bolt ho le
c::> fig . 159.
" Then complete ly unscrew the other wheel
bolts as described above.
" Take off the whee l leaving the a lignment
p in in the bolt hole
c::>(D .
Putting on the wheel
" Lift the spare whee l and carefully s lide it
over the alignment pin to guide it in place
c::>(D .
" Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
ha ndle to screw in and tighten a ll whee l
bolts
slightly .
" Uns crew the alignment p in and insert and
tighten the rem aining wheel bol t slightly
like the res t.
" Tur n t he jack hand le co unter-clockwise to
lower the vehicle until the jack is fully re­
leased.
T he wheel bo lts must be clean and turn easily.
Check the contact s urfaces of whee l and hub.
Remove contaminants on these surfaces be ­
fore insta lling the w heel.
T he hexagonal socket in the screwdriver ha n­
dle makes it easier to handle the w heel bo lts.
The reversible blade should be removed.
When mounting
unidirectional ti res, observe
the d irection o f rotation
c::> page 206.
CD Note
W hen remov ing or inst alling the whee l,
t he r im cou ld hi t the b ra ke ro tor and dam­
age the ro tor . Wor k caref ully an have a
second pe rson hel p you.
(D Tips
Neve r use the he xagona l socket in the han ­
d l e of t he screwdriver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bo lts .

Tightening wheel bolts
~ Fit the wheel bolt wren ch over the wheel
bolt and push it down as far as it will go
1l.
~ Close your gr ip around the end of the
wrenc h handle fo r maximum torque and
turn each whee l bolt
clockwi se u nti l it sits
t ight.
H ave the
tightening torque of the whee l bolts
checked as soon as possible with a torque
wrench. It shou ld be 120 Nm.
Chec k the
tir e pre ssure as soon as possible .
Return the vehicle tool kit to its proper place .
A WARNING
Loosening the wheel bo lts is prohib ited;
da nger of an accident!
@ Tips
- Never try and use the hexagona l socke t
i n the handle of the screwdr iver to loos­
en or tighten the w heel bolts.
- If yo u have dete rm ined t hat wheel bolts
a re cor roded and difficult to t urn, the
bo lts must be rep laced befo re checking
the to rque.
- Unti l the tig hte ning torque is checked,
d rive at redu ced speeds as a precaution .
Notes on wheel change
Please read the information ¢ page 193, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels ,
if you are
going to use a spare t ire which is different
from the tires on you r veh icle.
Afte r you change a tire :
- Check the tire pressure on the spare imme­
diately after mounting.
- Have the wheel bolt t ightening torque
chec ked w ith a torq ue wrench as soon as
poss ib le by your author ized A udi dealer or a
qualified service sta tion .
1) You need t he appro pria te adapte r to t ig hte n th e an ti­
t h eft whee l bolt s
c:> page 206 .
What do I do now? 209
- With stee l and alloy wheel rims, the whee l
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
- If you notice while changing a tire that the
wheel bo lts are corroded and difficu lt to
turn, then they shou ld be rep laced before
you check the tightening torque.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and
have it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possible . Remount the wheel cover.
Until then , d riv e with e xtra care and at re­
duced speeds.
A WARNING
- If you are going to equ ip your vehicle
with tires or rims which differ from those
which were facto ry installed, then be
sure to read the information ¢
page 193,
New tires and replacing tir es and
wheels.
- Always sto re the tools secu rely in lug­
gage compartment. Othe rwise, in a n ac­
cident o r su dden maneuver they cou ld fly
forwdrd, CciU5ing injury to pd55enger5 in
the vehicle.
(D Note
Do not use comme rcially avai lab le tire
sea lants . Otherwise, the e le ctr ic al compo­
nen ts of t he tire p ressu re monitoring sys­
tem * wi ll no longe r work proper ly and the
sensor fo r the tire pressure mon itor ing
system will have to be rep laced by a quali­
fied workshop.
Jump-starting
General
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engi ne should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
II>
•
•