2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER service

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.

It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oi l consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­
g ine output.
(y Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte ­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any dev ice, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published
by the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may
not correspond to your actua l consump­
tion on the road, which will vary depend­
ing upon vehicle load and speed, road and
weather conditions, trip length, etc.
Trailer towing
General information
Your Audi RB Spyder is not designed to tow a
trailer.
Towing a trai ler with your Audi RB Spyder is
not recommended and can cause damage to
the car . Damaged caused by towing a trailer is
not covered by your Aud i Warranty .
Driving and environment 155
•
•

168 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving .
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(CT) Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ lems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and fuel
systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
'
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed in­
structions see¢
page 170.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data <=>page 225.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
tells you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 167.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ing vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
.8, WARNING
Under normal operating cond itions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must

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>

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

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>

196 Tire s and wheel s
-Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reinsta ll the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pres sur e?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and a lways before starting a journey.
When should I adjust th e tir e pre ss ures ?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
o r replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition , you must then init i­
alize the new tire pressures in the tire p res ­
sure mon itoring system ¢
page 206.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
(11 appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the veh icle and
stopp ing ability .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsible for the cor rect
t ire pressures for all tires on the vehicle .
T he applicable p ressu re values are locat­
ed on a stic ker on the d rive r's side 8 -pil ­
lar .
- Only when all t ires on the vehicle a re fi l­
led to the correct pressure, the tire p res­
sure monitoring system can work cor­
rect ly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
T herefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure va lues
for the tires and the correct press ures for the function of the ti re p
ress ure monitor­
ing system.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct t ire pressure before dr iv ing
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ressure and add
ai r as req uired .
@ Note
Driving w ithout valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this ,
always make sure that factory insta lled
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are se curely
moun ted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires w ill also increase the
fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
T he re a re limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more d ifficu lt to stop . Overloading
can not only lead to lo ss of vehicle control,
but can also damage impor tant parts of the
vehicle and ca n lead to sudden tire fa ilure, in­
clud ing a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to cras h.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making sure that load limits a re
not exceeded . Vehicle load i ncludes eve rybody
and everything in and on the veh icle . These .,..

198 Tires and wheels
shown on the sti cker
¢ page 193, fig. 149 .
4. The re sulting figure equals
th e available amount of car­
go and luggage load capa ci­
ty . For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lb s.
and there will be five
150
lbs . passengers in your vehi ­
cle , the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca ­
pacity is
650 lb s. (1400-7 SO
(5
x 150) = 650 lb s.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step
4.
6.
If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
..,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 199, fig . 152) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire .
Tire service life
The service life of t ires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, c orrect tire p ressur e and dr iv ­
ing style .
Fig. 151 Tire tread: tread wear indicators (TWI)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
T he or iginal tires on your vehicl e ha ve
1/ 16 inch ( 1.6 mm) hig h "wea r indic a-
tors"<=:>
fi g. 15 1 run ning ac ross the tread . De­
pend ing on the make, the re wi ll be six to eight
of them evenly p laced arou nd the ti re. Mar ks
o n the tire s idewall (for example "TWI" or
othe r symbols) ind icate the positions of the
t read wea r indicators. Worn tires mus t be re­
placed. Diffe ren t fig ures may apply in oth er
co unt ries
c::> .& -
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wea r
and can cause sudd en tire blow-o ut. For this
re as on, tir e pre ssu re m ust be ch ecked at least
o nc e a month
c::>page 195.
Driving style
Driving fast ar ound c urves , heavy accel erat io n
and hard braki ng increase tire wear.
Wheel balancing
T he w heels on new ve hicles are balance d .
H oweve r, va rious s ituati ons dur ing everyday
driv ing can cause them to become unba l­
anced, resulti ng i n vib rat ions y ou can usually
f eel th rough th e steer ing whee l.
Un balanced w hee ls m ust be rebalance d to
avo id excessive wear on steering , su sp ension ..,.