2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER oil level

The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt -covered
road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few ca utious ap­
plications of the brake<=>,& .
Co rrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by brak ing
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed<=> ,&.
Fa ult s in th e bra ke s yste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed. Drive immed iately to
the nearest qualified workshop to have the
damage repa ired. Drive at reduced speed on
the way there and anticipate longer stopping
d istances and higher peda l pressure¢ _&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake flu id level is too low . The brake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically .
Brake po wer ass ist un it
The brake power assist un it increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only when the eng ine is run­
ning.
Br ake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
¢ page 214 .
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often. Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not " ride the brakes" by resting you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
discs and drum s. Carefully app ly bra ke s
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coa t­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt -cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- I f you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle a nd have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the veh icle roll to a s top with
the engine shut
off. .,.
•
•

Driving and
environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the
break-in period should be 1,500 miles (2,500
km) . Do not use full acceleration for the first
600 m iles (1,000 km) and do not exceed the
maximum engine speed of 6,000 rpm You
must also not use full accelerat ion between
600 and 1,200 mi les (1,000 to 2,000 km).
Fr om 1,200 to 1,500 miles (2,000 to 2,500
km), you can gradua lly increase maximum en­
gine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief periods.
During the first hours of operation, there is
greater friction in the engine and the trans­
mission than later when all the moving parts
have broken in.
The way you drive during the first 1,500 miles
(2,500 km) affects engine quality. If you drive
at moderate eng ine speeds thereafter, partic ­
ularly when the engine is cold, you reduce en­
gine wear and increase the potential mileage
of the engine.
Do not drive at RPMs that are too
low. Shift
down when the engine is no longer running
"smoothly". Extreme ly high RPMs are gov­
erned automatically.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaus t
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
veh icles.
Driving and environment 153
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
th rough water.
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that ra ise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avo id driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on environmentally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 167,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
~. ~
•
•

With S tronic transmission:
(!) Powe r steeri ng fluid rese rvoir
(~ ) ... .. ................ . . 149
@ Engine oi l filler cap ("1::r.) with
engine oil dipstick, ........ .. 180, 179
A WARNING
Before you ch eck a nything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 173.
@ Tips
The coolant expansion tank is located un­
der the convert ible top storage bay lid
~page 183.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications (8-cyl.-engine )
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
-
The engine in your Audi is a soph istica ted
powerp lant tha t was b uilt to exacting specifi­
cations . This engine needs the r ight kind of
engine oi l that meets specifications regarding
qua lity and viscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably. Choos ing the right oi l
and changing oil within the time and mileage intervals printed in your veh icle's Warranty
&
Ma intenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than it d id yea rs ago. A udi has developed
a special quality standa rd for engine oil that
will he lp assure tha t your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrica tion it needs for prope r opera­
tion.
M odern eng ine lub rication has taken a quan­
t um leap in the last few yea rs. Ma ny synthetic
oils availa ble today provide be tter eng ine lu­
b rica tion that can outlast traditional pe trole ­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your A udi.
Whether yo u use syn thetic or petroleum­
based engine oil, the oil that yo u use must
conform to Audi's oil qua lity standard VW S02
00 to help keep your vehicle's engine running
Checkin g and fillin g 175
smooth ly and he lp prevent the format ion of
harmful deposits, sometimes ca lled "s ludge,"
that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of prin ting, engine oils ava ilab le in
t h e U.S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synt het ic eng ine oi ls . Th is does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi o il standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de­
pos its use on ly oil with the following specifi­
cations pr inted on the o il conta iner:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil containe r labels m ay car ry the s peci fica­
t ion sing ly or in combina tion wi th othe r desig ­
na tions and oil quality s tanda rds .
Viscosity
Engine o ils are graded accord ing to thei r vis­
cosity. The p roper viscos ity grade oil fo r yo ur
engine depends o n climactic or seasona l con­
ditions where yo u drive. You must use oil w it h
a v isco sity g rade of SA E 5W-30 all temper a­
tu re ranges fo r norma l d riving condi tions.
Because eng ine o il that meets the Audi oil
sta ndard may not be availab le everyw here
whe n you need i t, we strong ly reco mmend
t h at you a lways carry wit h you an ex tra quart
( li ter) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW 502 00, in case you have to top
off the oil
whi le on the road.
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the
minimum ma rk on the oi l dipstick -and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oi l VW 502
00 is ava ilab le -may you top
off with a h igh
quality eng ine o il, preferab ly synthetic-based,
that meets ACEA A3 or API SM specifications. However, duri ng the entire time between oi l
c h ange in tervals, neve r top
off w ith more tha n
a total of 1 qt/lite r engine oil that does not
confo rm to Aud i oil spec ifi cat ion VW 50 2 00.
For more information abo ut eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your veh icle, please
contact e ither you r autho rized Aud i dea le r o r ..,.
•
•

VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00. So always be sure
that you use an approved oil.
To help preve nt the formation of harmful de­
posits use only oi l with the fo ll ow ing spec ifi­
cations printed on the oil containe r:
Audi oil standard s VW 501 01 or VW 505 00
and must have the v iscosity of SAE l0W-60 .
Oil conta iner labe ls may ca rry the specif ica­
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig­
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Viscosity
Eng ine oi ls are graded according to the ir vis­
cosity. The prope r viscosi ty grade o il for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con ­
ditions where you drive. Yo u m ust use oil with
a viscos ity grade of SAE lOW-60 all tempera ­
ture ranges for norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
B ecause engine oil that meets the A udi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when yo u need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra q uart
(liter) of o il that expressly conforms to the
VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00 specifications
which must have the viscosity of SAE lOW-60,
in case yo u have to top
off th e oil whi le on the
r oad.
Only if the level of the oi l is at o r below the
minimum mark on t he oil dipstic k -and no oil
that express ly co nforms to Aud i oil
VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00 spec ifications
whi ch mus t have the vis cosity o f SA E lOW-60
i s available -may you top
off w ith a hig h qua li­
ty engine oil, prefe rably sy nthetic -based, that
meets ACEA A3 or API SM specifications . How­
eve r, d uring the entire t ime between oil
change inte rva ls, never top
off with more than
a tota l of 1 qt/liter engine o il that does not
conform to Audi o il specifications VW 501 01
or VW SOS 00 w ith the viscosity of SAE
lOW-60 .
For more informat ion about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your author ized Audi dealer or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
Checkin g and fillin g 177
or vis it o ur web site at www .audiusa .com or
www.au dicanada.ca . Here you wi ll also fi nd a
current list of oi ls (manufacturers, bran d
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil stand ­
ards VW 501 01 or VW 505 00 w ith the vis­
cosity of SA E lOW -60 .
Changing the engine oil
The eng ine o il and o il fi lter m ust be changed
according to t he mileage (ki lometers) and
time intervals specified i n your ve hicle's War ­
ranty
& Ma intenance booklet . Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil can red uce engine performance and
can lead to expensive eng ine repairs.
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the l ubricat­
i ng proper ties of oil decrease gradually d uring
no rma l veh icle use . If you a re not s ure when
you have your o il cha nged, ask your author­
ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
sho uld eve n be changed more frequent ly .
Change oil mo re often if you dr ive most ly
sho rt distances, operate the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly under stop-and -go traff ic con­
di tions, o r when you use your veh icle where
temperatures s tay be low freezing point for
l ong pe riods .
Dete rgen t additive s in the oil will make fres h
o il look d ark after the engine has been ru n­
ning for a sho rt time. This is no rmal and is not
a reaso n to change the oil more often t han
recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to la ck of
maintenance
It is essential that you chang e you r o il at the
r ecommended in tervals usi ng on ly engi ne oil
that complies with Audi o il stand ards
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 an d must have the
viscosity of SAE lOW -60. Yo ur Limited New
Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or
malfunctions due to failure to follow recom­
mended maintenance and use requ irements
as se t forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and
Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet . You r I),
•
•

1 78 Che cking and filling
authorized Audi dealer will have to deny war ­
ranty cov erage un less you present to the dea l­
er proof in the form of Serv ice o r Repair Or­
ders tha t all sched uled maintena nce was per­
f ormed in a t imely manner .
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amoun t of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving par ts.
In order to provide effective l ubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a certa in
amount of o il. O il consumption var ies from
engine to eng ine and may c hange significa ntly
over the life of the eng ine . T ypically, eng ines
with a specifie d break-in per iod (see
c::> p oge 153) consume more oil during the
b reak-in per io d t han they co nsume after oil
consumption has sta bilized.
Unde r no rma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sum ption depends on the qu ality and vi scosity
of the oi l, the R PM ( revo lutions per m inute) at
which t he engine is ope rated, the ambient
temperature and road cond itio ns. Furthe r fac­
tors are the amount of o il d ilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida­
ti on level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bu ilds up , the oil consump ­
tion may increase over t ime until replacement
of worn componen ts may become necessary.
W ith all these variables com ing into play, no
standa rd rate of o il consumption can be es ­
tablished or specif ied . T he re is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil lev­
e l, see
Note .
If the ye llow eng ine o il level warning symbol
i n t he inst rument cluster
1\1 lights up, you
should check the o il l evel as soon as possibl e
c::> page 178. Top off the oil at you r earliest
conven ie nc e
c::>page 180.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check any thin g in t he engine
compartment , always read and hee d all
-
WAR NIN GS c::> & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 173.
(D Note
D riving wit h an insufficient o il level is like ­
l y to cause severe dama ge to the e ngine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals , pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
- If
you have t he impression yo ur engine
cons umes excessive amounts of o il, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
deale r to have the cause of your concer n
prope rly diagnosed . K eep in m ind that
th e accu rat e meas urement of o il con­
s u m ptio n re quires grea t care and may
t a ke some time. Y our Audi de aler h as i n­
st ru ctio ns abou t how to measure oil con­
sumption acc urately .
Checking the engine oil level
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmiss ion
Fig . 1 38 In st ru men t cl uste r: E ng in e oi l te m pe ratu re
d isp lay
Fig. 139 M arkers on o il dip stick

Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS.
Determining oil level
... Warm up the engine by driv ing until the in­
strument cluster display shows an oil tem­
perature of
210 °F (100 °C) to 230 °F
(110 °C) 9fig. 138.
... Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
... Allow the warm eng ine to run for about two
minutes at id le.
... Shut the engine off and wait two m inutes .
... Check the oil level on the eng ine o il dipstick
9fig. 139.
Oil level within range@
... Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
... Add 1 quart (1 liter) of oil. Afterwords, the
oi l level shou ld be within range
G).
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to 1 quart per
600 miles ( 1 liter per
1,000 km). Consumption may be higher with­
in the first
3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Checking the engine oil level
A ppl ies to vehicles: with S tro nic
Fig. 140 Inst rument cl uster: Engine o il temperature
dis play
Checking and filling 179
Fig . 141 Markers on oil dip stick
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS .
Determining oil level
... Warm up the engine by driving until the in­
strument cluster display shows an oil tem­
perature of
210 °F (100 °() to 230 °F
(110 °() 9 fig. 140 .
.,. Park your vehicle so that it is horizon tally
level.
... Allow the warm engine to run for about two
minutes at idle .
... Shut the eng ine off and wa it two minutes .
... Remove the design cover.
... Unscrew the cap
"t!:7: to the eng ine o il filling
hole
¢ page 174, fig. 137.
... Check the oil level on the engine oil d ipstick
¢fig. 141.
To check the oil level, the dipstick must be
inserted completely and the bayonet catch
must be locked (audible locking, turn all the
way to the stop).
Oil level within range@
... Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
... Add 1 quart (1 liter) o f oil. Afterwards, the
oil leve l should be within range
G).
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the operat ing conditions, oil consumption
can be up to
1 quart per 600 miles (1 liter per
1,000 km). Consumption may be higher with­
in the first
3,000 mi les (5,000 km).

180 Checking and filling
Adding engine oil "1::::1:
Appl ies to vehicles: with manual transmission
Fig. 142 Engine compartment : Oil filler cap locat io n
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
al ways r ead and h eed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 173 .
.. Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil filling
hole¢
fig. 142 .
,. Carefully top off with the appropriate oil.
.. Check the oil level aga in ¢
page 178 .
,. Top off t he oil again, if necessary .
,. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
s li de the oil d ipst ick in as far as it will go .
& WARNING
-While topping off, the oil mus t not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil fil ler cap must be prope rly se­
c u red to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequent ly
cleanse it thoro ughly.
(D Note
- The oil level must not be above range
c:> page 178, fig. 139 0 -danger of con ­
verter or engine damage ! Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer to draw off oil, if
necessa ry.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulat ions
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Adding engin e oil "1::::1:
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Fig . 14 3 En gi ne compartment : cover on t he eng ine oi l
filler neck
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 173 .
,. Shut the eng ine off.
,. Remove the design cover, if necessary .
,. Unscrew the cap
't=7: to the engine o il filling
hole
c:> fig . 143.
,. Carefully top off with the appropr iate oil
c:> page 175, c:> page 176.
,. Check the oi l level aga in c:> page 1 79 .
.. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Slide the oil dipstick in and screw the cap
back on the filling hole.
& WARNING
'-
- W hile topping off, the o il must not come
in contact with hot engine parts - f ire
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be p roperly se­
cured to prevent oil from bei ng sprayed
on the hot engi ne and exhaust system
when the engine is runn ing - fire haza rd !
- If you r skin has com e in contact with the
engine o il, you must subsequently
cleanse i t thoroughly. ..,.

182 Checking and filling
Checking the engine coolant level
Proceed carefully when checking the coolant.
Fig. 144 Convertible top: se rvice position
Fig. 145 Convert ible top sto rage bay: coo lant expan­
sion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:::> &_ in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 173
and park your vehicle on a
level surface.
The coolant expansion tank is located in the
right side of the convertible top storage bay
under the round metal cover
c:::> fig. 145. The
convertible top must be in the service position
to check the coolant leve l
c:::> fig. 144.
Bringing the closed convertible top into
the service position
.. Switch the ignition on .
.. Pull and hold the convertible top switch .
.. Press and hold the rear window switch too
until the convertib le top moves into the
service position
c:::> fig. 144.
Bringing the open convertible 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
c:::> fig. 144.
Opening the coolant expansion tank cover
.. Stop the engine and allow it to cool.
.. Switch the ignition off .
.. Care fully remove the bolts in the cover@
using a screwdriver and remove the cover.
The coolant reservoir is located below
¢fig. 145.
Checking the engine coolant level
.. Place a rag or cloth on the cap of the coolant
expansion tank and turn the cap
carefully to
the left (counter-clockwise)
c:::> .&, .
.. Read the coolant leve l inside the coolant ex­
pansion tank¢
fig. 145. With a cold engine,
it must be above the "min" mark. With a hot
eng ine, it can be a little above the indicated
range.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coo lant level sensor
c:::> page 15. We still recommend you check the
coolant 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
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a result of overheating .
A WARNING
-- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
notopenthecapofthecoolantexpan­
sion tank when the engine is hot. You
ris k be ing sca lded.
- The coolant additive, and therefore the
coo lant itself, is haza rdous to hea lth .
Keep the coolant additive in the original