2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER towing

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 132
C hild safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Installing a child safety seat . . . . . . . . 140
Additional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 144
Notice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
E lect ronic Stabilization Control (ES C) . 144
B raking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Rear spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Power steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Dry sump lub rication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Driving with your quattro ® . . . . . . . . . 149
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Driving and environment . . . . . 153
Break- in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 153
Driving through water on roads . . . . . 153
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Shutting down veh icle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Operation and maintenance . . . . . . . . 154
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 156
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
167
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Eng ine compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Eng ine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Table of contents 3
Battery ... .. .... ... .. .......... . 184
Windshield washer container
188
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Tires and wheels ........... .. . 189
Tires ..... .. .... ... .. .......... .
189
Tire pressure monitoring system
206
Do-it-yourself service ........ . 210
What do I do now? ........... . 210
Tr unk escape handle ........... .. .
210
Vehicle tool kit . .. ............... .
210
Tire repair . .. .. .. ............... .
210
What should I be aware of when
h . t· 7 c
anging a rre . . .. .............. . 214
Jump-starting .. .. ... .. .. ... ..... . 217
Em ergency towing with commercial
tow truck ... .. .. .. . ............ . 219
Fuse s and bulbs ... ........... . 221
El ectr ical fuses . .. ............... . 221
Bulbs ..... .. .. .. .. .. ........... . 222
Technical data ..... ........... . 223
General information ......... . 223
Explanation of technical data ...... . 223
Vehicle identification ........... .. .
223
Weights .. .. .. .... .. ........... .
223
Dimens ions .. .. ...... ........... . 224
Data ..... .. .... .. . .. .......... . 225
430 hp, 4.2 liter 8-cyl. engine ...... .
225
525 hp, 5.2 liter 10-cyl. engine .... .
226
Con sumer Information ...... . 227
Warranty coverages .............. . 227
Operating your vehicle outside the
U .S.A . or Canada ... . .. .. ...... .. . 227
Audi Serv ice Repair Manuals and
literature ... .. .. .. . .. .. ..... ... . 227
Maintenance . .. .. ............... . 227
Additional accessories, modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Convertible top
Convertible top
General information
The fabric convertible top opens and closes
automatically . When it is open, it is stored in
the convertible top storage bay. The converti­
b le top may be opened or closed at speeds up
to 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The convertible top is wind- and waterproof
under normal conditions. Some moisture may
collect in the vehicle interior, but only under
extreme ly adverse weather conditions such as
torrential rain. That is normal and no cause
for concern.
F ollow the clean ing and maintenance instruc­
tions
Q page 159 to ensure the convertible
top remains wind- and waterproof . Also note
the following points:
- Only stow the convert ible top when it is
clean and dry . Grains of sand or coarse dirt
particles can cause abrasions on the conver­
tible top when stowed that can lead to dam­
age to the fabric over time. Stowing the con­
vertible top when it is damp can cause
marks or permanent mildew spots to form .
- Do not leave the convertible top open for
several weeks or the creases in it may be­
come discolored . This is especia lly true if the
top was stowed when damp .
- Remove ice and snow before opening the
convertible top. Do not use any sharp edged
objects to remove ice and snow or the con­
vertible top could be scratched or damaged.
The rear window may be cleared with a
standard ice scraper.
- Th e fabric in the convertible top loses elas ­
t icity in sub-zero temperatures. We recom­
mend not opening or closing the convertible
top when the temperature is below 32 °F
(0 QC). The convertib le top will not open
when the temperature is 5 °F (-15
Q() or be­
low .
Convertible top 3 7
Opening/closing the convertible top
Fig. 32 Center console: convertible top switc h
Requ irement: the front lid must be closed and
the ignition must be switched on .
Opening the convertible top
... Pull and hold the convertib le top switch un ­
til the top is stowed in the bay and the cover
on the bay has closed completely .
Opening the convertible top using the
one-touch function
... Pull the switch briefly to open the converti­
ble top comp letely.
It is not necessary to
hold the switch. The one-touch function is
only available at speeds between 4 and
31 mph (6 and 50 km/h) .
Closing the convertible top
... Press and hold the switch until the converti-
ble top is closed and the latch is locked.
T he ind icator light Nin the instrument clus­
ter goes out when the top is complete ly open
or closed.
The side windows a utomat ically lower slightly
during the opening/closing process.
A WARNING
-Never drive when the convert ible top is
not locked correctly. The wind generated
by driving cou ld cause it to open, which
could injure vehicle occupants or damage
the vehicle .
- Make sure no one will be injured by the
convert ible top supports and other mov­
ing objects on the vehicle whe n opening
a nd clos ing the top.

48 Clear vis ion
Turn sign als¢ Q (D@
.,. Push the lever up as far as it can go to turn
on the r ight turn signal or down to turn on
the left turn signal
c;, fig. 53 .
.,. Move the lever briefly until you meet resist­
ance and release it to flash three times .
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and ho ld it there to determine
the flash ing t ime for the turn signals.
High beam [D @
.,. Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam.
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to swi tch off
the high beam .
Headl ight fla she r [D ©
.,. Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use the headlight f lasher.
Notes on these features
- T he turn signals only work with the igni tion
switched on . The ind icator lights
II or 1M in
the instrument cluster
i::> page 11 also b link .
- After you have turned a corner, the tur n sig -
nal switches off a utomat ica lly.
- T he
high beam works only when the head­
li gh ts are on. The indicator light
II in the
instrument cluste r illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- T he
headlight flasher works on ly as long as
yo u hold the lever -even if there are no
li ghts turned on . The indicator light
II in
the instrument cl uster i llum inates when you
use the headl ight f lasher.
A WARNING
Do not use the hig h beam or headlight
flashe r if you know that these could blind
oncoming traffic.
Emergency flasher
SPORT •
Fig. 5 4 Center co nsole : em erge ncy flashe r sw itc h
.,. Press the switc h lil i::> fig. 54 to switch the
emergency flasher on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn s ignals b link at the same time. The turn
s ignal indicator lights
II IB in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light i n the emergency
flasher sw itch
&,. blink likew ise . The eme rgen­
cy flashe rs also work when the ign ition is
tu rned off.
The emergency flasher will automatically switch on if you are in an accide nt whe re the
airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You should sw itch on t he emergency flash­
er when :
- you are the last veh icle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, o r w hen
- your vehicle has broken down or you a re
in an eme rgency s ituation, o r when
- your vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another veh icle
beh ind you .

70 On the road
(D Note
-Avoid hig h engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. Th is could damage the
engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
veh icle stand and warm up. Be ready to
drive off immediately after starting your
veh icle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicles w ith S tronic*, the engine can be
turned off in the neutral position N and in
each gear (1 -7 and R).
~ Turn the ign ition key to position ©
r:::>page 68, fig . 74 .
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- Th e brake booster and servotronic on ly
work when the engine is running. With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or braking .
Since you cannot steer and stop norma l­
ly, this can lead to accidents and serious
injuries.
(D Note
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat
builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the engine is switched off -there is a
risk of damaging the engine. Allow the
engine to continue to run at idle for a
short time or drive until it has cooled
down before you turn it off¢
page 75.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, it can be­
come extremely hot. You should not park your vehicle over easily combustib
le ob ­
jects or areas (e .g. grass or leaves). There
is a risk of starting a fire.
(D Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even with the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant temperature rises
as the result of heat buildup or if the en­
gine compartment is heated by the sun's
rays and the engine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally
Fig. 75 Center co nsole : Parking brake set
Sett ing the parking brake
~ Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing the parking brake
~ Pull the parking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
r:::>fig. 75-arrow- .
~ Keep the release button pressed and lower
the park ing brake ¢,& .
If you shou ld drive off with the parking brake
still set, a warning tone will sound and the
following message will appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Handbrake is applied

82 Transmission [O] Risk of rolling! P not possible. Plea se set
the parking brake
- T he pa rking lock was released using the
eme rgency release
r=;, page 82. Or
- T he pa rking lock can no longer be engaged.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
• Transmission: System malfunction ! Stop
the vehicle
Do not cont inue driving. Turn off the ignition
and contact your nearest authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
There is a serious system malfunction . Con­
tinuing to drive could result in subsequent
damage.
0 Note
If S tronic has switched to emergency op­
eration mode, you should have the mal­
function corrected as soon as possible.
Parking lock emergency release
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tronic
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
Fig. 86 Engine compartment: emergency release
Fig. 87 Engine compa rtment: pa rking lock emergency
r e lease
The emergency release is located in the en­
gine compartment.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. Turn the engine off.
.,. Set the parking brake to prevent the vehicle
from rolling unintentionally.
.,. Remove the removable plastic key from the
luggage compartment and extend the key to
its full length .
.,. Remove the cover over the emergency re­
lease mechanism .
.,. Insert the plastic key into the emergency re­
lease mechanism and turn it all the way to
the right
r=;, fig. 87.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Tu rn the key all the way to the left .
.,. Install the cover.
The
[O] indicator light appears in the instru­
ment cluster if the park ing lock was released
from P using the emergency release. The mes­
sage
Risk of rolling! P not possible. Please
set the parking brake
also appears .
.&_ WARNING
- Only activate the emergency release
while on a level surface or a slight slope.
-If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure you r vehicle
wit h the parking brake. The vehicle can
roll away if it is not secured and cause a
crash.

98 Driving Safely
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the r isk
of serious injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver 's
footwell. An object could get into the
peda l area and interfere w ith pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you would not be ab le to bra ke or
accelerate!
- Always make su re that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
... Make su re that the floor mats are properly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals~ .&_.
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal a rea
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position. You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi . Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at
­
tached to these fasteners . Properly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
A WARNING ,-
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
i n a loss of vehicle control and increase the
r isk of ser ious persona l injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
p roperly secured.
- Never place or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be prope rly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing wi th
the peda ls or the ability to contro l the
vehicle.
- Never pla ce or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already instal ­
led floor mats . Additiona l floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always properly reinsta ll and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the dr iver footwell while the ve­
hicle is moving . Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­ erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift s udden ly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics. Loose items can a lso increase
the risk of serious persona l injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a co llision.

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.

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
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