2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER brake

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>

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 189
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 214.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•

190 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and winter tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead s eparation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pre ssure
means the t ire p ressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des ignated
s ize that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the we ight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a t ire designed to ope rate a t higher
loads and at highe r inflation p ressu res than
the corresponding standard tire. Extra load
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the load -carry ing capacity of a s ingle
axle system , measured at the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gr oss Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e vehi cle. .,.

Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a g iven inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 191
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in wh ich the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see ¢ page 190, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire designed to operate at higher
loads and at higher inflat ion pressures than
the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "E XTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead. •
•

194 Tire s and wheel s
that are stored . The system does not recog ­
nize the load cond ition of your vehicle.
See the il lustration ~
fig. 149 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi LL vary slightly).
Note that the followi ng tab le is accurate at
the time o f go ing to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire pressure label on driver's s
ide 8 -pillar always
takes precedence .
T he table below l ists t he recommended cold
t ire inflat ion pressu res for the Aud i mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tir e sizes i nstal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a facto ry option.
I Model / \I Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear I
Engine
normal load full load normal load full load
condition condition condition condition
PSI II kPA PSI II kPA PSI ]I kPA
PSI II kPA
RS: 235/35 R19 91 Y XL 45
310 45 310
4 .2 liter
295 /30 R19 lOOY X L 280
8-c ylin-
305/30 R1 9 102V
XL
der 41
280 41
280
RS: 235/35 R19 91 Y XL 45
5.2 liter 295 /30 R19 l00Y XL 41 280 41
280
10-cyl-
305 /30 R19 102V XL
inder 41 280 41 280
--XL= reinforc ed or extra load tire. It may also a ppear as xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side·
wall.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the t ire
size information on the ve hicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bough t the veh i­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
ve hicle as a previously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in ­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load lim its are technically refer­
r ed to as the vehicle 's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The G ross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
G ross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compl
iance sticker label located on the
driver's side 8-pillar. The tire p ressure labe l on
yo ur Audi lists the max im um combined
weight of all o f the occ upants and luggage or
othe r ca rgo that the vehicle can carry. Fo r the
location of the tire pressure label
~ fig . 149.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was designed to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly a nd i n­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con ­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload ­
ed can fail suddenly ca using loss of con­
trol and a crash.

load limits are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve­
hicle.
T he
Gross Axle Weight Rating (" GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker label located on the
driver 's side B-pillar . Your Audi has 2 seating
positions. Each seating position has a safety
belt ¢
page 103, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle 's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle is limited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard weights assumed
mean that less weight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label
¢page 193, fig. 149 .
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se ­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
Tires and wheels 197
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 193,
fig. 149.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers from
"XXX" kilo-
grams or
"XXX" pounds .,.
•
•

and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
I nco rrect whee l alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wea r, impair ing t he safety of the vehi­
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel d rive
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles wi th
all-wheel drive. For details see
<:!) page 149.
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
tro l, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any t ire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of"hydrop lan ing" and loss of
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fl uid away from t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss o f vehicle control.
Tires and wheels 199
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels hove to be broken in .
Fig. 152 Tir e spec ificat io n codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. De scription
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l width of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ia l
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Aud i O rigina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire p ly composi tion and mater ials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ T readwear, tracti on and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essentia l parts of the
vehicle 's design . The t ires and rims app roved
by A udi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can ma ke a major
contr ibu tion to good road holding and safe .,.
•

A WARNING ,~
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in ­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains, never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
@ Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
Tires and wheels 205
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r:!> page 229.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose causing loss of
control, a collision and serious personal in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly tightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in the wheel hubs . They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the wheel bolts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of ± 7 .4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diago­
nally. After changing a wheel, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically for your model for their superb performance, road feel .,.
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