
A WARNING
Improperly installed child safety seats in
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in a collision.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash .
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it .
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a collision.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in
fant carriers installed on the front pas
senger's seat may interfere with the de
ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave
hicle is being used
Qpage 132. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
Q page 112, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described .
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on whenever
Child Safety 141
the ignition is switched on the inflating
airbag will hit the child safety seat or in
fant carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof. Have
the airbag system inspected immediately
by your Audi dealer.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec
tion.
-An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
-Always carefully follow the manufactur
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can
cause injury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re
straint up, against or very near the in
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child restraint. The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints: •
•

142 Child Safety
-A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, door or
roof.
-Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception
al circumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air
bag System. The heavier weight regis
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- Never install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on. If the PAS·
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag sys
tem inspected immediately by your Audi
dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se
cure a child restraint .
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur
er's instructions when installing a child re
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver
tible locking retractor: ..
Place the child restraint on a seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
.. Route it around or through the child re
straint belt path
c> ,A .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position .
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
.. You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to pull the belt out of the retractor. The con
vertible locking retractor is now activated .
.. Make sure that the red release button is fac
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly.
.. Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the
seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING ~
Using the wrong child restraint or an im-
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash .
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position. Otherwise, the seat
back with the child safety seat attached
to it could fly forward in the event of an
accident or other emergency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave-
hicle is being used
c> page 132. Special ..,.

154 Driving and en vironm ent
• Never put too much motor oil in your engine
¢ page 180, Adding engine oil
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
•
•

158 Cleaning and protection
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per
mitted.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
App lies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with ma tte finish poin t require spe
cial core due to the characteris tic s of the
point.
Automatic car washes
You must take the necessary precautions such
as closing the windows before using an auto
matic car wash. See the car wash attendant if
there is special equipment on your vehicle
such as a spoiler or remote control antenna
c:::> CD.
Only use car washes where the vehicle re mains stationary and the washing equipment
moves around the vehicle when washing and
drying .
It is not possible to use car washes
that move the vehicle through the car wash
using a chain
c:::> &,.
Only use car washes that use cloth cleaning
equipment, not brushes .
Washing with pressure washers
When washing your vehicles with a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instruc
tions provided with the pressure washer . This
is especially important in regard to the
pres
sure
and spraying distance. Be sure to keep
enough distance from soft materials such as rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
from the parking system sensors*, which are
located in the front or rear bumper.
Never use
rotary nozzles or high pressure
nozzles.
Washing by hand
T o avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
your vehicle. Insects , grease spots and finger
prints are best removed with a
special cleaner
for matte finish paint.
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to
ward the bottom using a
neutral shampoo
and a soft microfiber cloth. Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
sponge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly again and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed using a
leather cloth.
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
if necessary .
Removing stubborn dirt
Bird droppings or tree sap
are best removed
with plenty of water and a microfiber cloth.
You should rinse off
gasoline residue immedi
ately with plenty of water .
A WARNING
--Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- To reduce the risk of cutting yourself,
protect your hands and arms from metal
parts with sharp edges when cleaning
the underbody, the inside of the wheel
housings or the wheel covers.
- If washing your vehicle during the win
ter, moisture and ice in the brake system
can affect the vehicle's braking ability.
0 Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint using polishing mate
rials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appearance or sur
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be

(D Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercia l cleaning spe
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
~ Keep belts clean.
~ For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol
ution. Let belts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
~ Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re
tract before they are completely d ry.
~ Check the condition of your safety belts reg
ularly.
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Any thing tha t might damage you r safety
belts co uld mean that you and your pas
sengers wo uld not be adequately pro
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor rect installation . Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach o r dyes . They have corrosive prop
erties which weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam
age, see your authorized Audi dea ler.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the informat ion
¢page 156.
1) Use o nly the correct cleaning sol utio ns. Neve r use gas
oline or d iese l fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Corrosion p rotection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatmen t is very impor
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage .
At the same time, the underside of the veh icle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the a nti-corro
s ion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long
lasti ng corrosion protection reapplied to all
su rfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compa rtment .
A WARNING
--=
Be aware: The eng ine compartment of any
motor veh icle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart
ment, be sure to read the information
¢page 172.
-Before reaching into the front p lenum
panel, a lways remove the ignit ion key.
Otherwise, the w indshield wiper system
could u nintentionally be sw itched on,
possibly caus ing persona l injury from the
mov ing wipe r linkage.
- Never reach i nto the area around or
touch the rad iator fan. The aux iliary fan
is tempe ratu re controlled and ca n sw itch
on s uddenly -even when the ignition is
off. .,.
165
•
•

transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe local and state laws regard
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F8S2 -86) .
@ Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely dry. The irregular supply of
fue l can cause misfiring. Gasoline cou ld
enter into the exhaust system and damage
the catalytic converter .
Refueling
Fig. 130 Drive r's doo r: Unlock ing fuel filler flap
Fig. 131 Fu el cap hooked on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellu
lar phones in the vehicle must be switched
off .
Tak ing the fuel cap off
.. To open the fuel filler flap, press the button
9 fig . 130.
.. Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap ¢
fig. 131.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 169
Refueling procedure
.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go.
.. Select a medium refueling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.. After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise until you hear a definite click.
.. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap proper ly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp ¢
page 26
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle while re
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge static electricity before touching the fill
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open flame any
where in or near your vehicle when refu-
eling or filling a portable fuel container. ..,.

17 2 Che cking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Lid
Releasing the engine compartment lid
The engine compartment lid is released from
in side the vehicle.
Fi g. 1 34 Drive r's s id e: re le asi ng th e eng ine co mpart
ment lid
R equ irement : The ignition must be sw itched
on.
.,. Make sure the rear spoiler is retracted
<=> page 148 .
.,. Pull the button @. The e ngine compart
ment lid opens slightly .
.,. Ope n the engi ne compa rtme nt lid
c:> .&, .
.&_ WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you. To re
duce the risk of bei ng bur ned,
neve r open
the engine compartment lid if yo u see or
hear steam or coolant escaping from the
eng ine compartment. Wa it until no steam
or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefu lly opening the engine compartment
lid .
CD Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only
ope n the engi ne compartment lid when
t he convertib le top storage bay lid is
closed .
(D Tips
An emergency re lease can be used i f th e
engine compartment lid cannot be re
l eased with the
button @r::::>page 172.
Engine compartment lid emergency
release
The emergency release loop is located under
the right trim panel near the front passenger
seat.
F ig . 1 35 Fro nt passenger footwe ll: em erge ncy release
l oop
.,. Make sure the rear spo iler is retracted
<=> page 148 .
.,. Pull the loop forwa rd to release the engine
compa rtme nt lid . The engine compar tment
lid o pens s lig htly .
.,. Open the eng ine comp artmen t lid
c:> .&, in
Releasing the engine compartment lid on
page 172 .
CD Note
To preven t dam age to the vehicle, only
open the en gine compartment lid when
the convert ible top stora ge bay lid is
closed.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whenever you mu st perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking and filling the different fluids, there is a risk
of injury, burn s and accidents. To prevent
personal injury always observe the following
Ill-