2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER check engine

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

container out of the reach of children. It
is a poison hazard.
@ Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Lim ited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS q A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on pag e 173.
"'Add coolant .
"'Twist the cap on again
tightly.
"'Tighten the cap (D q page 182, fig. 145
again.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications
q page 181, Coolant .
We recommend using only coolant additive
G12++, G13 or in an emergency G12 +. Do
not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive and can restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling .
Do not fill coolant above the "max" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
Checking and filling 183
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an ­
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison" .
Q) Note
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire . Ex cess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
q page 181 must be re­
stored as soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulations.
Brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced t echnician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
afte r a period of time. The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance. .,.. •
•

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

188 Checking and filling
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open f lame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
wh ile the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technicia n w ith the proper equip­
me nt.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, rad io, etc., as we ll
as t he battery charger.
(D Tips
- The vehicle battery must not be charged
with a standard small charger that p lugs
i nto the c igarette lighte r o r outlet.
- Only charge the battery through the con­
nect ions in the luggage compartment.
Windshield washer
container
Fig. 148 Luggage compartment: Wind shie ld washer
fl uid reser voir
T he washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol
O on its cap ~page 174, fig. 136 .
,. Lift the fi ller cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fil l the container to the top.
,. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
fi lling the container .
You can find the reservo ir
c a p acit y in the table
in
~ page225
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. Always add a glass cleane r
solution (with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
- Do not mix e ngine coolant ant ifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the w ind­
shield washer reservoir .
- Do not use g lass cleaners conta ining
pai nt so lvent; you risk damaging the
paint.

-Che ck the tire p re ss ure on the spare imme­
diatel y afte r mounting.
- Hav e the wheel b olt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench a s soon a s
possib le by you r auth orized Audi dealer or
a qu alified ser vice sta tio n.
- With steel and allo y w heel rim s, the wheel
bolts are correctl y tight ened at a to rq ue of
90 ft lb (1 20 Nm ).
- If yo u notice while changin g a ti re th at the
wheel bolts are co rrod ed and diff icult to
turn , then they should be repl aced before
y ou check the t ighten ing to rqu e.
- Replace the flat t ire with a new one and
ha ve it installed on your vehicle as soon as
possib le . R emount th e wh eel co ver .
Until then, driv e with extra care and at re ­
d uced speeds.
A WARNING
- If you are going to equip your vehicle
with t ires or rims wh ich differ from those
w hich were factory installed, then be
sure to read the informat ion
~page 199,
New tires and replacing tires and
wheels.
- Always store the tools securely in lug­
gage compa rtment. Otherw ise, in an ac­
c ident o r sudden mane uver they could fly
f orward, causing inju ry to passengers in
the vehicle .
(D Note
Do not use commerc ia lly available t ire
sealants. Othe rwise, the elec trical compo­
nents of the tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem* will no longer work properly and the
sensor for the tire pressure monitoring
system wi ll have to be replaced by a qua li­
fied workshop.
What do I do now? 217
Jump-starting
General
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi ­
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another vehicle,
us ing a
pair of jump er cabl es to start the en­
gine.
Both batteries must be rated at 12 volts . The
capacity (Ah) of the booster battery must not
be substantia lly less than the capac ity of the
discharged battery .
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of suff ic ient ly large
cro ss se ction to safely car ry the starter cur ­
rent . Refer to the manufacturer's specifica­
tions .
Use only jumper cab les which have
insulated
term inal clamps and are properly marked for
dist inction:
plu s(+) cable : in most cases colored r ed
m inu s(-) cable :
in most cases colored black
A WARNING ~
Batteries contain e lectric ity, acid, and gas .
Any of these can cause very serious or fata l
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
-Always shield your eyes and avo id lean-
ing over the battery whenever poss ible.
- A discharged battery can a lready freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °(). Before connect ing a jumper cable , the
frozen battery must be thawed com ­
pletely, othe rwise it could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
wate r immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion. •
•

218 Wh at do I do now ?
-Vehicle batteries generate explos ive gas­
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted ciga­
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with
a low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat­
tery. Use of batteries of different voltage or substant ially different "Ah" rating
may cause an explos ion and personal in­
Jury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap­
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen. The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batteries of different voltage or
substant ially different capacity (Ah) rat­
ing may cause an explosion and injury.
T he capacity (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis­
charged battery.
- Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
page 172, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
- Applying a higher vo ltage booster bat­
tery wi ll ca use expensive damage to sen­
sitive electronic components, s uch as
control units, relays, radio, etc.
- There m ust be no e lectrica l contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
positive(+) terminals are connected .
(0 Tips
-The discharged battery must be proper ly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys­
tem.
- Switch off any car phone, or follow the
car phone instructions for this situation.
Use of jumper cables
Make sure to connect the jumper cable
clamps in exactly the order described below!
F ig . 1 63 Luggage compartment: co nnectors for a
charge r and jump start cables
Fi g. 1 64 Jump start us ing the battery in a nother vehi ­
cle: A· Fema le socket, B • D isc harge
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment¢
page 185. T he front lid can be opened
i n an emergency¢
page 34.
Do not connect the negative cable d irectly to
the negative term inal on the battery. Connect
it to a
jump st a rt pin instead ¢ fig. 163.
Connect the po sitive cable (red ) to the
positive terminal
1. Co nnect one end of the red jumper cable
¢
fig . 164 (!) to the positive terminal of
discharged battery @.
2 . Connect the other end of the red jumper
cable to the positive terminal @of the
booster battery @.
Connect the n egativ e cable (black ) to the
n egati ve terminal
3. Connect one end of the b lack jumper ca­
ble @ to the negative terminal of the
booster battery @. .,.