2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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 ..,.
•
•

176 Check ing and filling
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or visit our web site at www .audiusa .com or
www.audicanada .ca. Here you will a lso find a
current lis t of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi o il standard
vw 502 00 .
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and o il filter must be changed
according to the mi leage (ki lometers) and
time interva ls specified in your vehicle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful depos its from old
engine o il can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs .
C hanging the o il at the recommended inter­
va ls is so very important because the lubricat­
ing properties of oi l decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your o il changed, ask your author­
ized A udi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently .
C hange o il mo re often if you dr ive mostly
short d istances , operate the vehicle in dusty
a reas or mostly under s top-and -go traffic con­
d itions , or when yo u use your veh icle whe re
temperatures stay below free zing point fo r
l ong periods .
D etergent add it ives i n the o il w ill ma ke fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing fo r a shor t time . This is no rma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfun ction s due t o lack of
maintenance
I t is essential that you change your oil at the
r ecommended in te rvals using only engine o il
th at compl ies wi th A udi oil st andard VW 502
00. Yo ur Limited New Veh icle War ran ty does
not cover damage or malfunctions due to fa il­
ure to follow recommended maintenance and
use requ irements as set forth in the A udi
Owner's Manual and Warranty
& Ma intenance
bookle t. Your authori zed Audi dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage un less you present to the dealer proof in the form of Service o
r
Repair Orde rs that all sched uled maintenance
was per formed in a time ly manner .
Engine oil specifications (10-cyl. ­
engine)
App lies to vehicles: wit h IO -cy linder -engine
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The engine in your A udi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exact ing spec ifi­
cations . T hi s eng ine needs the right k ind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably. Choosing the rig ht o il
and changing oil within the t ime and mileage
in tervals p rin ted in you r vehicle's Wa rra nty
&
Mainten ance booklet matte rs a lot more to ­
day than it did years ago . Aud i has deve loped
a specia l quality sta ndard for engine oi l th at
will help assure that your vehicle's engine wi ll
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
t ion.
Modern engine lubrication has ta ken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years . Many synthetic
o ils available today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast tradit ional petrole­
um-based oils, making them a sma rt cho ice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic o r pet ro le um­
based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Aud i's oil quality standards
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 and m ust have a
viscosity of SAE lOW-60 to help keep your ve­
hicle's engine running smoo thly a nd he lp p re­
ven t the forma tion of h armf ul deposits,
some times called "s ludge," tha t over t ime can
l ead to expensive repairs.
At the time of pr int ing, engi ne oils ava ilable in
t h e U.S. and Canada th at meet the exac ting
spec ifica tions of Audi oil s tanda rds
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 with the viscosity of
SAE lOW-60 are synthetic engine oils. This
does not mean, however, that every synthet ic
engine oil will meet Audi oil standards
1111>

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. ..,.

CD Note
-The oil leve l mus t not be ab ove range
¢ page 179 , fig. 141 G) -danger of con­
verter or engine damage! Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer to draw off oil, if necessary .
- 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 o il come
i n contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when d isposing of empty oil containers.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
q ui res lit tle at ten tion.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a pe rma nent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mix ture o f wa ter and the m anu fa ctu rer 's g ly ­
col -based coolant addit ive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod els; 60% for Canadian models) . This mix ­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec ­
tion and protects metal components i n the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling .
It also raises the bo iling po int of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant addit ive must b e at
lea st 50% but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficie n­
cy.
If t he cool ant frost pro tect io n is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
Checkin g and fillin g 181
For year -round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
.8, WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n the engi ne
com partmen t, a lways re ad and heed al l
WA RNIN GS
q .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 173 .
-
CD Note
- Before wi nte r sets in, have the coo lant
checke d to see if the cool ant a ddi tive in
yo ur vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli ­
mate conditions . This is especia lly impor ­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extreme ly cold. I f necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coo lant add itive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember :
- We re commend using o nly coola nt ad­
di tive G l2++ or Gl3 (check the l abe l)
for your vehi cle. This coolan t additive is
ava ila ble at autho rize d Aud i dea le rs .
Othe r ty pes of antifreeze can sig nifi­
cantly reduce corros ion protection. The
resu lting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serio us engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal ­
ant to yo ur vehicle 's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repair flu id may adverse­
ly affect the f unction and performance of
your cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by you r New Vehicl e
Li mited War ran ty.
•
•

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