2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire .
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire.
([) Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with lead­
ed
fuel will already seriously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
~page 160.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The engine could misfire.
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex­
haust system and this could cause the cata­
lytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the vehicle
is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emission
Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
Driving and environment
{® For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline .
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer period of time , contact an Audi
or other specialized dealer. They can advise you
on necessary precautions e.g. corrosion preven­
tion, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to
additional information concerning the battery.
Refer to~
page 164.
Operation and
maintenance
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
-your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition of
your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump­
tion.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumption .
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output . .,,.
143

Driving and en vironment
CJ) Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance w ith the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
l et . Lack of proper ma intenance as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will impair the
funct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emi ssion Cont ro l System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any dev ice, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ig nition w ires,
valves, wh ich are des igned to prote ct you r
vehicle's Emiss ion Control Sys tem and other
i mportant veh icle components.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
t he ENV IRONM ENTA L PROTECTION AG ENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not co rre­
spond to your act ual consumption on the
road , which wi ll vary depen ding upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather cond itions,
trip length, etc.
Trailer towing
General information
Your Audi RB Spyder is not designed to tow a
trailer.
Towing a tra iler with your Audi R8 Spyder is not
recommended and ca n cause damage to the car .
D amaged caused by tow ing a tra ile r i s not cov­
e red by your Aud i War ranty .
144

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Vehicle care and cleaning General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The required cleaning and care products can be
obtained from your authorized Audi dea ler or a
qualified workshop. Read and follow the instruc­
tions for use on the packaging.
A WARNING
-Us ing clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out
of reach of children to reduce the r isk of poi­
soning.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly products when buying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with household trash.
Car washes
The longer deposits remain on the vehicle, the
more the surface can be damaged. High tempera­
tures such as those caused by sunlight increase
the damaging effect .
Before washing, wet heavy deposits with plenty
of water.
Stubborn depos its such as bird droppings or tree
sap are best removed with plenty of water and a
microfiber cloth .
A lso, was h the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stops being used for the season.
Pressure washers
When washing your veh icles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
"' provided with the pressure washer. This is espe-
r--
~ cially important in regard to the pressure and
; spraying distance . Do not aim the spray directly
~ at seals on side windows, doors, the engine com -,.... Vehicle care and cleaning
partment lid, the front lid
or the convertible top
or at tires, rubber hoses, insulating material
orsensors* or camera lenses *. Keep a distance of
at least 16 inches (40 cm).
Do not remove snow and ice with a pressure
washer .
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °().
Automatic car washes
Spray off the veh icle before washing.
Make sure that the windows are closed and the
windshield wipers are off. Follow instructions
from the car wash operator, especially if there are
accessor ies attached to your vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Only use car washes where the vehicle remains
stationary and the washing equipment moves
around t he vehic le when washing and drying. Car
washes that move the vehicle through the car
wash using a chain are not recommended.
Washing by hand
Clean the vehicle starting from the top and work­
ing down using a soft sponge or cleaning brush.
Use solvent-free cleaning prod ucts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing, first
remove dust and large particles from your vehi ­
cle. Insects, grease spots and fingerprints are
best removed with a spec ia l cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply the prod uct using a microfiber cloth . To
avo id damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
c lean using a neutral shampoo and a soft micro­
fiber cloth.
Rinse the vehi cle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove any water residue using a sham my . .,.
145

Vehicle care and cleaning
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­ ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter. The bra kes
must be dried first with a few caref ul brake
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an au tomatic car
wash, you must retract the extend able rear
spoi ler * if necessary, and fold the exterior
mirrors in to reduce the risk of damage .
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded in and out using the power folding
funct ion.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To red uce the risk of damage, do not wash
the power top with a pressure washer. -
To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash
decorative decals * with a pressure washer.
- T o reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply pro­
tective wax. It can destroy the matte fin­ ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int could be damaged
when the stickers o r magnets are re­
moved.
- Do not wash the vehicle using cleaning
products that contain alcohol when the en­
gine is hot. This increases the risk of dam­
age to plastic components, such as cracking.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities spec ial ly de­
signed for that purpose. This w ill reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system .
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the following table . The in­
formation contained there is simp ly recommen­
dations. For questions or for components that are not listed, refer to an authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. A
lso fo llow the informa­
tion found in
¢ .&. .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
Dirty ¢ page 53, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
tail lights
Sensors
/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith an alcoho l-free clean ing sol-
ution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
146
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Vehicle care and cleaning
Component S ituation Solution
Ex haust t ail
Road sa lt Water, cleaning
solution suitable for stainless steel, if nee-
pip es essary
Power to p Dirty Clean water, power top clean ing product, if necessary .
C lean with the gra in of the fabr ic using a soft brush and al-
l ow to air d ry .
W ind d efle ct o r Dirty Water, mild soap solutiona), if necessary
Decorati ve p arts/ Dirty Mild soap solution al, a cleaning so lution suitable for stain-
trim less stee l, if necessary
P ai nt Paint damage Refer to the pa int number on the vehicle data label, repair
with touch up paint ~
page 212
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust fi lm Rust film remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized A udi dealer or a q ualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even though Treat with suitab le polish; then apply paint p rotectant if
paint has been pro- the polish that was used does not contain any protectant
tected/paint looks
poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen w ith water immediatedly and remove w ith a mi-
sects, bird dropp ings, crofibe r cloth
tree sap and road sa lt
Grease-based con-Remove immediatedly w ith a mild soap solutional and a
taminants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sunblock
C ar bon p art s Dirty Clean the same way as painted parts~ page 145, Car
washes
D ecorativ e decal s Dirty Soft
sponge with a mild soap solutiona)
aJ Mild soap solution: max imu m two tablespo ons n eutral soap in 1 quart (I lite r) of water
Cle anin g int erior
Compon ent Situation Solution
Windo ws
Dirty
Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Deco rative Dirty Mild soap solutional
parts/
trim
Pl as tic par ts
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plastic clea ning so l-
u tion, if necessary
147

Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Displays
Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solu-
tional
Safety belts Dirty Mild soap solution a>, allow to dry before letting them
retr act
Textiles, Stains adhering to the sur- Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl, face
Alcantara Water-based stains such as Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutional
coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based stains such as o il, Apply a mi ld soap solutiona>, blot away the disso lved
make-up, etc. oil ori dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
Special stains such as ball- Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
point pen, nail polish, latex treat afterward with mild soap solutional, if necessary
paint, shoe polish, etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutional
Water-based stains such as
Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
coffee, tea, blood, etc. Dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
Oil-based stains such as oil, Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suita-
make-up, etc. ble for leather
dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such as ball- Stain remover suitable for leather
point pen, nail polish, latex
paint, shoe polish, etc.
Care Reg
ula rly apply conditioning cream that protects
from light and penetrates into the materia l. Use spe-
cially-co lored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Dirty Clealil the same way as plastic parts
aJ Mild soap so lution: max im um two ta blespoo ns neut ral so ap in 1 quart (l lite r) of w ate r
A WARNING
Th e windshie ld may not be treated with wa­
ter-repelling windshield coating agents. Un­
favorable conditions such as wetness, dark­
ness, or low sun ca n resu lt in increased glare.
Wiper blade chatter is also possible .
(D Note
-Headlights/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights with a
dry cloth or sponge.
- Do not use any cleaning product that con­
tains alcohol, because they could cause
cracks to form.
-Wheels
148
-
- Never use any paint polish or other abra­
sive materials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
r ims such as stone chips or scratches must
be repaired immed iately.
-Sensors/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack.
- Never use abrasive clean ing materials or
a lcohol to clean the camera lens. This
could cause scratches and cracks.
- Power top
- Remove bird droppings immediately .

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-Never use gasoline, stain remover, ben­
zene, paint thinner or other solvents to re­
move.
-Windows
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To avoid scratches, move the scraper only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from windows
and mirrors using warm or hot water be­
cause this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de­
fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window.
-Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
-Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol­
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust film.
- Remove cosmetics and sunblock immedi­
atedly. Otherwise, the paint could be dam­
aged.
-Trim
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not treat
the trim around the panorama sunroof
with paint polish.
- Decorative decals
-To reduce the risk of damage, do not use
any rough powder or abrasive cleaning
products.
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not pol­
ish decorative parts that have a matte fin­
ish.
- Displays
-To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause damage.
- Safety belts
Vehicle care and cleaning
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo­
nents chemically or with corrosive fluids
or solvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact with the safety belts .
This could cause damage to the belt web­ bing .
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles,
have them replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop.
- Textiles/Vinyl/ Alcantara
- Never treat Vinyl/Alcantara with leather
care products, solvents, floor polish, shoe
polish, stain remover or similar products.
- To avoid damage , have stubborn stains re­
moved by an authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam­
age to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­
ple on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, stain remover or simi­
lar products .
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam ­
age to the surface .
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time. If leaving the ve­
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight . .,.
149

Vehicle care and cleaning
(D Tips
-Insects are easie r to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed .
- Regu lar wax ing can prevent rust fi lm from
forming.
- Decorative par ts can go through an agent
process, for example by becoming brittle,
d ue to various environmental conditions .
The intensity of their color may change if ex­
posed to excessive sunlight.
150