2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER engine overheat

10 Instrum ents a nd warning /indic ato r li ghts
& WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
¢ page 172, Working in the engine
compartment
before open ing the engine
compartment lid and checking the en­
gine coo lant level.
- Never open the engine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam, or if you see en­
gine coo lant dr ipping from the eng ine
compartment. You could bur n yourse lf.
Let the engine coo l
off first until you can
no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping .
CD Note
- Mounting additional lights or ac cesso ries
in front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
ing effect of the radiator . At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spoi ler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, th is could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Aud i dea le r fo r
ass istance.
Fuel gauge
The fuel ga uge works only when the ignition is
on. When the needle reaches the red area, the
warning light in the instrument cluster will i l­
luminate ¢
page 18 lil]. Tim e to r efu el!
CD Note
Never run the tank completely d ry! An ir­
regular supply of fue l can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex­
haust system . The catalyt ic converter
co uld then overheat and be damaged. Speedometer with odometer
The
speedometer shows you the vehicle
speed, and the odometer shows you how
many miles (kilometers) you have driven.
1S3.9
miles S2YY
F ig . S Speedometer close-up: odometer display
The distance driven is shown in m iles (USA
models) or in kilometers (Canada mode ls) .
Lower odomet er
The lower odomete r shows the tota l number
of miles (kilometers) driven.
Upper odometer (trip odometer )
The upper odometer shows the total number of miles (kilometers) driven s ince you last re­
set the odometer back to zero. You can use
t hi s odometer when you want to keep track of
how many m iles (kilometers) yo u have driven
f o r a si ngle tr ip or e rrand. The last dig it ind i­
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters). Yo u can set
the trip odometer back to zero by pressing the reset button ¢
fig. 5.
With the ignit ion off, pushi ng of the Set/
Check button
~ page 8 , fig . 3 0 can turn on
the display fie ld lighting for a few seconds.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunct ion somewhere in the in­
strument cluster, dEF will appea r in the trip
odometer and w ill s tay on. Co ntact your au ­
thorized Audi dea ler to have the prob lem cor­
rected .
Immobilizer
When the ignition is sw itched on, the data on
the ignition key are scanned automatic ally. .,..

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0 ) Worn brake pads
IJ Che ck brake pad s!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your author ized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all bra ke pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the wa rning lig ht
IJ
comes on togethe r wi th the warn ing light
1111 . Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the wa rning light IJ and the warning
l ight
11111
) w ith the message B rake
pads !
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i deale r or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The~ warn ing/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
on the ignition as a function check .
(D) Tips
If this warning/indicator light ill uminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electron ics . Have
the malfunction co rrected as soon as pos­
sible by you r authorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified workshop.
1) - : USA mod els on ly
-
~ Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
T he Ma lfunction Indi cato r Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnos tic (OBD II) system .
T he symbo l
fl lights up when the ign ition is
turned on and will turn off after the eng ine
has started and has settled at constant id le
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
T he warning lig ht ill uminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your a uthori zed Aud i dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly clo sed fuel filler cap may al so
cause the MIL l ight to illum inate
¢ page 169.
For more information ¢ page 26 .
!7, Engine speed limitation
Ma ximum 6000 RPM
T he eng ine speed is automatically limited to
6 000 RP M. T his pro tects the engine fr om
overheating .
T he eng ine speed limitation
lll deact ivates
once the eng ine is no longe r in t he cr itica l
tempe rature range and you have released the
acce le rator pedal once.
(D Tips
When co ld, the engine speed is l imited to
6000 R PM (w ith the
VlO engine) or
7000 R PM (with the VB engine) to p rotect
the engine. The limit is deactivated once
the oil temperature r ises above 140 °F
(60 °C) and the engine is at operating tem­
perature .
~ .. Checking the engine oil level
II Please add ma x. 1 qt of engine oil!
If the II symbo l comes on, add 1 quart (1 li ­
ter) of oil at the next opportunity
¢ page 180.

80 Transmi ssion
-Do not accelerate when you shift gears
with the vehicle stationary and the en­
gine running.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with S tron ic.
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often or too long. Constant
braking causes the brakes to overheat
and substantially reduces brak ing per ­
formance, inc reases braking distance or
c auses comp lete failure of t he b rake sys­
tem.
0 Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
t he vehicle in place w it h the foot bra ke to
p revent it from roll ing ba ck. Do not t ry to
preven t the vehicle from r oll ing bac k when
t he ge ar is engaged by increasing speed,
as t his may damage the clutch .
Automatic mode
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic
The transmission shifts up and down auto­
matically when in the driving gears.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake peda l.
.. Tap the se lector lever towards A.
.. Re lease the brake pedal and press the accel­
era to r peda l¢
A in Manual mode on
page
79 .
Unde r certain circumstances (d riving in the
mo unt ains fo r example), it can be beneficia l
to switch tempo rari ly to the manua l shift pro ­
gram ¢
page 79 in order to adjust the gear ra­
tios to driving conditions
manually .
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
When you depress the acce lerator pedal be ­
yond the resistance po int, S tronic downshifts
i n to a lower gear , depending on vehicle speed
l) Market- sp ec ifi c
and engine rpm . It shifts up into the next
higher g ear once the maximum specified en ­
gine RPM is reached. Except ion: you have acti ­
vated the sport func tion .
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls cou ld spin on
slick or slippe ry roads when kick-down is
active .
Launch control program
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic
The Launch Con trol Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration .
Requirement: The eng ine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
.. With th e engine running, press the
(fill
!ESC OFF!1l
button one time. The I ind ica­
tor light and the message
ESC Spo rt -Cau ­
tion! Lim ited stabil ity!
appears in the driver
information system display .
.. Press the brake pedal with your left foot a nd
hold it down .
.. Engage a gea r.
.. Press the
I SPOR T! button on the selecto r lev ­
er cover .
.. Press the accelerator peda l at the same time
with your right foot unti l the engine has
reached a constant speed .
.. Remove your left foot from the brake¢,&. .
A WARNING
--Always adapt your dr iving to the traff ic
f low.
- Onl y use t he Launch contro l program
when road and t raff ic conditions a llow it
a nd other d rivers w ill not be e ndangered
or both ered by your dr iving and the vehi­
cle 's ac celera tion.
- Pl ease note that the d riving wheels ca n
sp in a nd the vehicle can b reak away
-

90 Homelink®
Homelink®
Universal remote
control
General information
The Homelink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand-held transmitters
from existing equipment.
You must first program the Homelink ® trans­
mitter before you can use the system
~ page 90, Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter.
I n o rder to prog ram the Homelink ® transmit­
ter for devices utilizing rolling code, a second pe rson on a ladder who can safely reach the
garage doo r opener motor is recommended.
It is also necessary to locate the "learn" but­
ton on your garage door opener motor . Refer
to the operating instructions for the opener,
as the location and color of this button may
vary by manufacturer .
You can still use the original remote control
for the device at any time.
A WARNING
-
- Never use the Homelink® transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as requ ired by federa l safety stand­
ards. This includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signa ling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards. Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is stand ing in front of the vehicle.
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink ® remote control is being pro­
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac- tivated, this can overstrain motor and
damage its e
lectrical components -an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certain that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equ ipment being operated.
(!) Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink ®, where to purchase the
Homelink ® compatible products, or
would like to purchase the Homelink®
Home Lighting Package, please call toll­
free: 1-800-355-3515.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions~
page 230.
Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter
The transmitter is programmed in two phas­
es. For rolling code transmitters, a third
phase is also necessary.
Fig. 99 Overhead co nsole: Homelink ® keypad
I
'-.. ~0000 - - ,r.;-_ - -
Fig. 100 Fro nt bumper : location of tra nsmi tter unit

switched on all the time. In certain situations
when you need less traction, you can switch
off ESC by pressing the button
lru. Be sure to
switch ESC on again when you no longer need
less traction.
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking . The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking . Apply steady pres ­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
d istance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer­
gency si tuations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over .
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-wheel drive*. This function is available up
to about 60 mph (100 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
..&, WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR and EDL cannot overcome
th e laws of physics. This is especially im ­
portant on slippery or wet roads.
If the
systems begin acting to stabilize your ve­
hicle, you should immediately change
yo ur speed to match the road and traffic
condit ions. Do not let the increased safe­
ty provided by these systems tempt you
Intelligent technology 145
to take risks. Doing so will increase the
risk of a lo ss of vehicle control, co llision
and serious personal injuries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions. The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when driving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, EDL and ASR cannot prevent colli­
sions.
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al ­
ways he lp to reduce the risk of loss of ve­
hicle control.
@ Tips
- ABS and ASR only work correct ly when
all four whee ls are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D ifferent tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the ind icator lightD] orE (USA
models)/ [iJ (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 16,
¢ page 15.
Switching on/off
£SC turns on au tomatically when you start
the engine.
-
SPORT •
Fig. 1 28 Cent er console w it h t b utton

The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt -covered
road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few ca utious ap­
plications of the brake<=>,& .
Co rrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by brak ing
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed<=> ,&.
Fa ult s in th e bra ke s yste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed. Drive immed iately to
the nearest qualified workshop to have the
damage repa ired. Drive at reduced speed on
the way there and anticipate longer stopping
d istances and higher peda l pressure¢ _&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake flu id level is too low . The brake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically .
Brake po wer ass ist un it
The brake power assist un it increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only when the eng ine is run­
ning.
Br ake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
¢ page 214 .
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often. Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not " ride the brakes" by resting you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
discs and drum s. Carefully app ly bra ke s
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coa t­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt -cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- I f you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle a nd have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the veh icle roll to a s top with
the engine shut
off. .,.
•
•

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.

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.
•
•