2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER battery

than is being generated and ensures an opti­mal state of charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits o f physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, you are
i nformed by a warning
¢ page 151,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year. Abundant e lectrical energy is re­
quired, but only a litt le is generated. It is also
cr itical if the engine is not runn ing and electri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing gene rated.
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat ­
in g the distribution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains sta rting capab ility over a longer per iod.
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your veh icle, some convenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust ­
ment, may not be available . The convenience
functions will be ava ilable again whe n you
turn on the igni tion and star t the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off, the battery is being dis­
charged .
Intellig ent technolog y 151
If starting capability is jeopardized d ue to en ­
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
drive r information d isplay .
You have to start t he engine to charge the
batte ry .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the ve hicl e is being driven, t he battery can be­
come disc harged. This happens mostly when
li ttle energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
c h arge is not optimal.
T o b ring the energy ba lance back into equili ­
br ium, consumers which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporari ly cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in pa r­
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off . These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Th is is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increas ing engi ne idle
speed the additional energy required is gene r­
ated and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T his not ificat ion reminds yo u that the start ing
capability of the engine may be limited . As
soon as you sta rt driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the not ificat ion w ill go
out. •
•

152 Intelligent technology
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If t his driver notification a ppears after the ig ­
n ition is turned on or while driv ing and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately rec harged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If t his driver notification appears after the ig­
ni tion is turned on or while dr iv ing and does
not go out again , the battery's state of charge
i s not i n the optimal rang e. Sta rting abi lity is
r estricte d. Have the bat tery checked as soon
as po ssible by an aut hor ized Audi dealer or
qualif ied wor kshop.

154 Driving and en vironm ent
• Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 180, Adding engine oil • Never try to push -or tow-start your veh icle.
The cata lytic converter is an efficient "clean ­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critically
important for the life of the cata lytic convert­
er and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel sp ill or other material which can
cause a fi re.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verte r o r heat shie lds . D uring d riving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
([) Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 180 .
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire. Unburned f uel could a lso get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­ sion Control System: -
Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendat ions in yo ur Warranty
&
Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating proper ly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or fil ling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer per iod of t ime, contact an
Audi or othe r specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage.
Pay attention to additional informat ion con­
cerning the battery. Refer to<=>
page 184.
Operation and
maintenance
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three facto rs:
-your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
By having your veh icle regu larly se rviced by an
authorized Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economica lly. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its va lue, it also affects
fu el
cons umpt ion.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.

WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area!
c::> &.
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the engine compartment lid:
- Switch off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of S tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. Wait un­
til no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before carefully opening the en­
gine compartment lid .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
-Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still warm. The cool­ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
Checking and filling 173
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of S tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards
c::> .&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
@ Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle
IJI>
•
•

184 Checking and filling
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
ev ery two yea rs. A lways use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
Brake fl uid is rep laced according to the Audi
maintenance service schedule . Your author­
ized Audi dealer is equipped with the necessa­
ry special tools and rep lacement parts, has
the necessary expertise, and can d ispose of
the used fluid .
A WARNING
-Brake fluid is po isonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed orig inal container
out of the reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old o r inap­
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre­
c aut ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that meets SAE
specif icat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 .
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make su re you are using the
correct brake flu id. The correct type of
b rake fluid is a lso indicated on the
b rake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor loc k if
t he brake fl uid is left in the system too
long. This can ser ious ly affect the effi ­
ciency of the brakes as well as yo ur
safety . This could result in an accident.
CJ) Note
Br ake fl uid will damage the paint of your
veh icle.
@.l For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of prope r d isposa l
of brake fl uid as we ll as the speci al tools
req uired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l bat­
te ry, an
ACM battery. This ba tte ry is located
i n the luggage compartmen t an d must be re ­
placed with an origina l equipment battery .
U nder normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery is
maintenance -free.
Have the batte ry checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r than 5 years.
Disconnecting the battery te rminals
Some vehicle fu nctions (power window reg u­
lators, for ex ample) are lost if the batte ry te r­
mina ls are disconnected. These f unctions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
sho uld only be disconnected from the veh icle
electrical system when abso lutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of seve ral days or weeks , e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period
r:> page 150. Some of the convenience func­
t ions may not operate, such as the inter ior
li ghts or powe r seat ad justment. The conven­
ience funct io ns w ill be available again when
you sw itch on the ign it io n and s tart the en­
gine.
Winter operation
D uring the winte r months, battery capac ity
tends to dec rease as temperatures drop. This
is because mo re power is a lso co nsumed wh ile
sta rting, and the headlig hts, rear win dow de­
f ogger, e tc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessa ry powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
t icu lar ly i n city traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt dist ances. Let yo ur au thori zed Au di
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat -
tery before winter sets in
r:> page 187. A well ll>

charg ed batte ry wi ll not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer.
Replacing battery
The new battery mu st h ave the same capac i­
ty, vo ltage ( 12 volts), amperage, construction
a nd p lug sealing, as the origina l battery . Spec ­
ifications are listed on the battery housing.
Batteries specially developed by Audi fulfill
the maintenance, output, and safety require­
ments.
When insta lling the battery, make sure the ig­
nition and all electrica l consumers are switch­
ed
off c:> (D .
We recommend that you use maintenance­
free or
c y cle- re sis tant /leak-proof batteries
according to the standards TL 82S 06 (from
April 2008) and VW 7 50 73 (from Apr il
2010).
Replacing the battery should be carried by a
qua lified workshop. P lease follow the instruc ­
tions on the battery cover.
(D Note
-All work on the battery requires techni­
ca l knowledge. Please contact an A udi
dealersh ip or another a uthorized facility
fo r quest ions about the battery - danger
of acid burns and explosion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened ! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid leve l,
othe rwise detonating gas w ill escape
from the battery - explos ion ha zard!
- The AGM batte ry in the luggage com­
partment ca nnot leak, because the elec­
trolyte fo r th is battery is absorbed into a
spec ial glass ma t. T his leak-proof battery
mus t not be repla ce wi th a convention al
batte ry .
- M ake sure the ven tilat ion hose on the
s id e of the b attery is con ne cte d, o ther­
wise fumes or ba ttery acid can leak ou t.
- Ba ttery ho lder and term inals always
have to be secured cor rectly.
Checkin g and fillin g 185
-Be fore all wo rk on the batte ry follow the
warnings below co.&. in Working on the
battery on page 186 .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the p rob lem of prope r disposal
of a battery, we recommen d your author­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
e rly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulat ions. Disposing of veh icle batter ies
i mprope rly is very dange rous to th e envi­
r o nment. Make sure that the removed bat ­
te ry canno t overb alance, othe rwi se su lfu­
r ic acid might escape!
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left s tanding for seve ral
weeks at ext remely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze . This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery!
T he bat tery is located in the luggage compar t­
ment behind a cover. Befo re you work on or
near the battery,
read and heed all WARN­
INGS
co .&, .
A lways heed the
safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent in jury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important wh en working on the battery :
Alway s heed the following WARNING SYM ­
BOLS and safety pre caution s when working
on the battery .
® Always wear eye protection . !
I). Battery acid contains sulfuric acid_-Al­
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection. ..,.
•
•

186 Checking and filling
No
- sparks
@
-flames
-smoking.
--· W hen a b att ery is ch arg ed , it produc es
A hydrogen ga s whi ch i s ex plosive and
could cause p ers onal injury.
®
Alway s keep the battery well out of
reach of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system, there is the r isk of
inju ry, acc ident and
even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection . Do not let
battery acid or any lead part icles get on
yo ur sk in or cloth ing . Sh ield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfur ic acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and
severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection .
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could lea k out of the vent ilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in yo ur eyes or
on your sk in, immediately rinse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention.
- I f you should ingest any battery acid,
see k medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks o r an open ligh t.
- Do not smoke .
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables .
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up
very quickly,
wh ich could lead to damage or e xplosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
cou ld cause persona l injury. -
Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the elect rical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
tr ica l system, switch off the engine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected .
If you are just go­
i n g to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you wi ll set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
d isconnect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive cab le.
- Before reconnecting the batte ry, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off. Reconne ct the pos it ive cable first
an d then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fi re!
- Never ch arge a fro zen or a thawed-out
battery. I t could exp lode! I f a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged batte ry can freeze
over at 32 °F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the s ide of the bat ­
tery .
- Never use batteries which a re damaged .
Danger of explosion! Always replace a
damaged battery .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han­
dling.

(D Note
-Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system .
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then have to be replaced.
Charging the battery
Connections for charging the battery are lo­
cated in the Luggage compartment.
Fig. 146 Luggage com pa rtm ent: batt ery cov er
Fig. 147 Luggag e com partm ent: connec tor s for a
c harge r and jump start cables
Do not connect the negative cable direc tly to
the negative terminal on the battery . Connect
it to a
jump start pin instead c::.> fig . 147 .
.. Always read and heed all WARNINGS c::.> .&.
in Working on the ba ttery on page 186 and
Q ,&. .
.. Switch off the ignition and all electrical con ­
sumers .
.. Open the luggage compartment lid
c::.> page 3 3.
Checking and filling 187
.. Remove the battery cover c::.> fig. 146.
.. Connect the terminal clamps from the
charger to the battery terminal (red = "posi­
tive") and the jump start pin
c::.> fig. 147
(black or brown= "negative") as specified.
.. Only now plug the mains lead for the charg ­
ing equipment into the wall outlet and turn
it on .
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equipment off and
remove the
mains lead from the wall outlet .
.. Now
remove the clamps for the charging
equipment .
.. Install the battery
cover.
.. Close the luggage compartment lid
c::.> page 3 3.
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. Before charging
at
high voltages, i.e . "fast charging", you
must disconnect both cables. In either case,
follow the instructions from the manufacturer
of the charger.
Fastcharging a battery is
dangerous c::.> .&. in
Working on the battery on page 186 .
It re­
quires special charging equipment and the
knowledge to go with it. We recommend hav­
ing your battery fast charged only by a quali­
fied workshop .
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera­
tures of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat ­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it
c::.> & . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid .
Do not open the battery caps when charging
the battery.
WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro-
zen. The battery housing may have