8 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Ove rv iew of t he inst ru m ent cluster
(D Eng ine o il temperatu re . . . . . . . 8
@ Ta ch ome ter w ith time an d date
d isplay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 9
® Coolant temperature gauge . . . 9
© Fuel gauge............ .. .. . 10
® Speedometer with odometer . . 10
@ Vol tmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
(i) Se t/Check bu tton . . . . . . . . . . . 9
@ Driver information display . . . . 20
® I RESE T! bu tton for trip odome-
ter 10
The illumination for t he instrument cluster
lights up whenever you switch on the ignition
with the
vehicle headlights off . The gauges
a re a lso illumina ted when the lights a re
turned o n.
Engine oil temperature display
The engine oil temperature display ¢ page 8,
fig. 3 only operates w ith the ignition on. To
prevent engine damage, please obse rve the
following important points concerning the
temperature ranges.
Cold range
If the needle is at the bottom of the gauge,
t h e e ngine oil has not reac hed operat ing tem
perature yet . Avoid high eng ine speeds, full
t hr ottle applicat io ns and heavy eng ine loads .
Normal range
The eng ine has reached ope rating tempera
ture when the needle moves into the center of
the gauge under normal driv ing cond itions .
T he needle may move high er on the ga uge
with heavier e ngine lo ad at hig h outs ide tem
per atures. This is not a c ause for con cern as
lo ng a s th e . indic ator light in the disp lay
does not flash.
Warning light.
If the symbol . in the d isplay flashes, ei
t h e r th e engine oil te mpera ture is too high o r
t h e e ngine o il leve l is too low¢
page 178 .
If the needle is well in the uppe r area of the
gauge, the e ngine oil temperature is too h igh .
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
allow it to cool.
I f th e war ning l igh t co mes on
again afte r driving a short d istance, co ntact
an a uth o rized Audi dea le r.
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. .,..
12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Engine oil pressure too low
¢page 14
Engine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature too high
¢page 15
Gearbox malfunction*
¢page 81
Yellow indic ator lights
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunc
tion -Warning !
Convertib le top operation ./
¢page 15
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
.f ¢ page 15
Electronic Stab ilizat ion Control (ESC)
.f ¢ page 15
n USA models: anti-lock brake sys tem
~ (ABS) ./ defective ¢ page 16
Canada models : anti-lock brake sys
tem (ABS) ./defective ¢
page 16
Worn brake pads
¢page 17
Tire pressure too low
¢page 207
I Tire pressure monitoring system
11il~, 1 ¢
page206
~ Electronic power control./
~ ¢page17
l!'a USA models: Malfunction Indicator
Bil Lamp (MIL) ¢page 17
Can ad a mo dels: Ma lfunction Indica
tor Lamp (MIL)
¢ page 17
l"ill Engine speed limitation*
lill ¢page17
11111 Check engine oil leve l
lill ¢ page 17
-----
Engine oil sensor malfunction
, ¢page 18
•
Battery voltage too h igh or too low
¢page 18
Low fuel level
¢page 18
• Windshield washer fl
uid level low ¢ page 18
l:J
Defective light bulb
¢page 18
•
USA mod els: Defective brake light
¢ page 18
[ll
Canada models : Defective brake
light¢
page 18
tm
Light/rain sensor defective (automat-
ic headlights)* defective ¢
page 19
B
Audi magnetic ride
¢page 19
--
Ill
Rear spoiler./
¢page 19
•
USA mod els : Speed warning 1
¢page 72
-
•
Canada mod els : Speed warn ing 1
¢ page 72
•
USA model s: Speed warning 2
¢page 72
•
Canad a models : Speed warning 2
¢page 72
rm
Gearbox malfunction*
¢page81
Other indic ator lig ht s
II
II
Turn signals
¢page 19
USA mod els : Cruise control acti-
-
CRUISE
vated ¢ page 19 ll>
Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Engine oil level OK
If
the . symbol st arts flash ing again even
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
d ipst ick,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
Instead, con
tact your author ized Audi dealer for assis
tance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
1\1 requires oil refill or workshop serv
ice without delay . Do not wait until the
red oil pre ssure warning symbol.
starts to flash before you respond to
the low oil level warning
11-By then,
your engine may already have suffered
serious damage.
- L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be repaired as soon as possible .
When the. symbol in the disp lay fla shes,
then either the eng ine coo lan t
temperature is
too h igh, or the coo lant
level is too low. In ad
d ition to the symbol, t he fo llowi ng message
a ls o appears in the display:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
~ Pull off the road and stop th e vehicl e.
~T urnoff th e e ngine.
~ C heck coolan t leve l c:>page 182.
~ Add coolant if ne cessary c:> page 18 3.
~ Co ntinu e dr iving only after the eng ine coo l
ant war ning/ indicato r light goes o ut.
~ Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is co rrect, then the
radiato r fan may be t he cause of the malf unc
tion . I
f the generator warn ing/ indicato r light
sho uld also illum inate
c:> page 14, then the
fan belt may be damaged .
_& WARNING
- If you r vehicle should brea k down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance fro m moving traff ic , tu rn
off th e eng ine and tu rn on the haza rd
warn ing ligh ts
c:> page 48, Em ergen cy
fla sher.
-
- N ever op en the eng ine c omp artmen t lid
i f you see or he ar stea m or co olan t es
c a p ing from t he eng ine compar tment -
you risk being s ca lde d. Wa it unt il you can
no lo nger see o r hear s team or coolan t
escapin g.
- Th e engine compa rtment o f any vehi cle
is a dangerous area. Befo re you perform
a ny wo rk i n the engine com partment,
turn off the en gine and allow it to cool.
Follow t he war ning stickers
c:> page 172,
Working in th e engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue dr iv in g if the . symbo l
ill umina tes . There is a mal function in the
engine cooli ng system -you c ould damage
your engin e.
~ Convertible top operation
T he ind icator light tu rns o n II
- W hen the convert ib le top opens or closes or
- If the convert ible top did not open or close
comp letely .
T he ind ic a tor light blinks if the converti ble top
cannot open or close
c:> page 38.
;;,/ {); Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the G1 i ndicator lamp blinks while dr iv ing,
t h e ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Reg ulat ion) is ac tive
ly reg ulati ng .
If the
DJ indicato r lamp ill uminates, the sys
tem has sw itched the ESC off. In th is case, you .,.
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.
_& WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions - risk of an accident!
Audi magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's pref
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur
rent driving situation.
SPORT •
Fig. 81 Center conso le : Switch for Audi magnetic ride
.,. To turn sport setting on/off, press the
switch
¢fi g. 81 .
Aud i magnetic ride is an electronica lly con
trolled damping system . This chassis system
assists the driver by adapting to the particu lar
situation through imperceptible control proc
esses. The damping provides individual modu
lation of damping forces. For example, with
damping characteristics set to prov ide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when brak ing.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus
pension setting emphasizing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting if you prefer a sporty
suspension setting. The LED in the button
II]
comes on to indicate sport setting.
@ Tips
The warning/indicator light Bin the instru
ment cluster comes on in the event of a
malfunction. Drive to the closest author-
On the road 75
ized Audi dealer as soon as possible and
have the malfunction repaired.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
you r vehicle, you can help ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessar ily during sporty driv
ing .
When warm ing up, the vehicle is driven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM
(Vl0 engine) or 7000 RPM (V8 engine) in or
der to raise the engine oil temperature to a
minimum of 140 °F (60 °C). The tires also on
ly reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can cont inue to run in your ve
hicle after the engine is switched off. Howev
er, driving the vehicle to coo l it down is partic
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the exhaust system, and
the transmission all become extremely hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you should drive
it for a few m iles/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down.
Driving on a track
Before you take your vehicle out on a track ,
ensure that it is in perfect condition. For ex
amp le, you should check the tire tread and the
brake pads. It is best to increase tire pressure
by about 0.3 bar.
When driving on a track, oil consumption may
be somewhat higher than in "normal" opera
tion
r=> page 178.
You should definitely inspect your vehicle af
ter subject ing it to severe conditions . Are the
brake pads OK? Is there anything unusual
about the tires, including the inner and outer
sidewalls (e.g. tread, blistering)? Are the air
intakes free of leaves and tire dust? Is the oil
level OK? .,,.
148 Intelligent technology
-If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
SPORT •
Fig. 129 Switch for rea r sp o ile r
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoi ler
operation can be set for automatic or manual
operation.
Automatic mode (normal operation )
-Extending automatically: This occu rs when
driving faster than approximate ly 62 mph
(100 km/h) or at a certain engine compart
ment temperature
1> .
- Retracting automatically: This occurs when
driv ing s lower than approximately 22 mph
(35 km/h) or at a certain engine compart
ment temperature
1> .
Manual mode
- Extending manually: Press the switch
~ fig. 129 briefly to extend the rear spo iler
completely.
- Retracting manually: When dr iving at
speeds below approximately 12 mph (20
km/h), press and hold the switch to retract
the rear spoiler . When driving at speeds be
tween 12 mph and 62 mph (20 km/h and
l ) The rear s poiler o nly exten ds or ret racts a bove a cer
ta in eng in e te mp erat ure in s ome m odels.
100 km/h), press the switch briefly to re
tract the rear spoiler complete ly. You cannot
retract the rear spoiler if it extended due to
the engine compartment temperature .
Indicator light
When the indicato r light (.-) appears, there is
a system malfunction . The rear spoiler may
not be able to extend . This cou ld change the
vehicle's driving characteristics at high
speeds. Do not exceed 87 mph (140 km/h) .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char
acteristics, making the vehicle ha rder to
control.
- Imp roper operation of the rear spoiler
can cause crushing injuries. Always ma ke
sure that nobody, especia lly children, is
in the way when the rear spoi ler is de
p loyed or retracted.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf
fic laws .
- Ho t air from the eng ine compartment
can escape thro ugh the rear spoiler when
it is open and it could burn you.
(D Note
- Never push the vehicle or apply force to
t he rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- Operate the rear spoiler manually only
when the eng ine compartment lid is
closed, otherwise there is a risk of dam
age .
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compa rtment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.
156 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Regular and correct care will contribute to
maintaining the beauty and value of your
Audi. Furthermore, good care may be a condi
tion for substant iat ing a warranty claim
should corrosion damage or pa int defects oc
cur.
Your authorized Audi R8 dealer has a variety
of
dedicated vehicle-care products. Please
make sure you apply them correctly .
.8, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caution labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammable or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on sharp-edged metal parts.
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
braking efficiency¢
page 146, General
information .
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select only environmentally friend ly clean
ing products . Leftover cleaning products
should not disposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing your vehicle
T he longer i nsect remains, bird dropp ings,
tree res in , road and indust rial dust, tar, soot
part icles, road salt, and other aggressive de
posits remain on the vehicle surface, the more
lasting their destructive effect will be . High
temperatures, for example from intense sun
li ght, intens ify the corrosive effect.
After the end of winter road salting, the un
derside of the vehicle should be thoroughly
washed .
Automatic car washes
Before going through an automatic car wash,
yo u should take the usual precautions (closing
the windows). If your vehicle has special ac cessories -e.g . spoilers, radio antenna -it is
best to speak to the operator of the car wash
c:> (D .
Only use car washes where the vehicle re
mains stationary and the cleaning equipment
moves aro und the vehicle while washing and
drying . It is not possib le to use car washes
where the vehicle is moved forward on a con
veyer
c:> ,& .
It is preferab le to wash your vehicle in a
brush less carwash .
Washing with a power washer
When washing yo ur vehicle with a power
washer, be sure to follow the operating in
structions for the power washer . This applies
particularly to the
pressure and the spraying
distance.
Maintain sufficient distance from
soft materials such as rubber hoses, sound
deaden ing mater ial, and the parking aid sen
sors* that are located in the front or rear
bumper .
Do not use washers with
a rotating jet or a
nozzle spraying
a high pressure jet of water in
any case. ..,.