2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER change time

Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data
Reco rder (EDR) , insta lled by some manufactu rers
for the express pu rpose of captur ing data fo r re­
trieval after an accident or crash event. ED R 's are
sometimes called "crash recorders" .
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of da ta stored by EDR's that were instal ­
led in a vehicle for the express p urpose of retriev­
ing data after an accident or crash event without
the owner's consent.
Al though you r vehicle is not eq uipped w ith an
E DR, it is equipped with a number of electronic
control modu les for vario us vehicle systems such
as, for example, engine function, emission con­
trol, as we ll as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record ve­
hicle-related data during norma l vehicle opera­
tion for diagnostic and repair purposes . The re­
cording capacity of the electronic contro l mod­
ules is lim ited to data (no sound is recorded) and
only a small amount of data is actually recorded
over a very l imited per iod of t ime and stored
when a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of the data then stored
may re late to veh icle speed, direction, braking as
well as restraint system use and performance in
the event of a crash o r other cond ition . Stored
data can only be read and downloaded with spe­
cial equipment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of sk id­
d ing and loss of veh icle contro l.
It works only
when the engine is runn ing. ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situations, including when the ve ­
h icle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control and
he lps you to get the veh icle back under control by
134
selective ly braking the wheels, and/or reducing
engine power and providing steering assistance
to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver's intended
course. The ind icator light
GJ in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking act ion to help
you contro l the vehicle .
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
dit ions you may come up against. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
s ituations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of fric tion of the road surface. When
there is a sect ion of dry road that is suddenly cov­
ered with water, slush or snow, ESC cannot per­
f orm the same way it would on the dry surface . If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered . During fast
corner ing, particularly on wind ing roads, ESC
cannot always dea l as effectively with difficult
driv ing situations as at lower speeds .
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather condit ions . ESC cannot
overr ide the veh icle's phys ica l limits, increase the
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road if
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road during
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can prov ide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the an­
ti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys tem
and anti -slip regulation (ASR) . ESC is sw itched on
all the t ime . In certai n situations when you need
less tract ion, you ca n sw itch off ESC by p ress ing
the button
l!l . Be sure to sw itch ESC on again
when you no longe r need less traction. .,..

Checking and filling
(D Tips
The coolant expansion tank is located under the convertible top storage bay lid
¢page 163.
Engine oil
Engine oil specificat ions
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications .
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oil change . We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
158
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi oil quality standard
your engine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthetic"oil that meets the following speci­
fications.
- ACEA A3 or API SM with a viscosity grade of
SAE OW-30, SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en­
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typically, engines with a specified break-in period (see
¢ page 142) consume more
oil during the break-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabili zed.
Under normal conditions , the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­ perature and road conditions . Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the
oil. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab­
lished or specified. There is no alternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note.

Checking and filling
-Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi ­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original container and well out of the reach of children .
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison".
CD Note
-Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire . Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
-If, in an emergency, only water can be add­
ed, the correct ratio between water and an­
tifreeze
¢ page 161 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulations.
Brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after a peri­
od of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years.
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
164
Brake fluid is replaced according to the Audi
maintenance service schedule . Your authorized
Audi dealer is equipped with the necessary spe­
cial tools and replacement parts, has the neces­
sary expertise, and can dispose of the used fluid .
A WARNING
-Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro­ priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard
116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake fluid is also indi­ cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too long.
This can seriously affect the efficiency
of
the brakes as well as your safety . This
could result in an accident.
CD Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information '
Your vehicle is equipped with a special battery, an
ACM battery . This battery is located in the lug­
gage compartment and must be replaced with an
original equipment battery. Under normal oper­
ating conditions, the battery is
maintenance-
free. ..,_

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l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
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negative cable. Never interchange the ca­
bles -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro­
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
Danger of explosion! Always replace a dam­
aged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is switched on or when the en­
gine is running, otherwise, you will damage
electronic components in the electrical sys­
tem.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time without being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
will be damaged and will then have to be re­
placed.
Charging the battery
Connections for charging the battery are located
in the luggage compartment.
--
• •
Fig. 144 Luggage compartment : ba tter y cover
Checking and filling
Fig. 145 Lug gage compar tment: connectors for a charg er
and jump start cables
Do not connect the negative cable directly to the
negative terminal on the battery. Connect it to a
jump start pin instead¢ fig. 145 .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ A in
Working on the battery on page 166
and ¢&_ .
• Switch off the ignition and all electrical con-
sumers.
• Open the luggage compartment lid¢
page 32.
• Remove the battery cover¢ fig. 144.
.,. Connect the terminal clamps from the charger
to the battery terminal (red= "positive") and
the jump start pin ¢
fig. 145 (black or brown =
"neg ative") as specified.
• Only now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on.
• When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet.
.,. Now remove the clamps for the charging equip-
ment .
.,. Install the battery cover .
.,. Close the luggage compartment lid ¢
page 32.
When charging at low voltages (e.g . with a trickle
charger),
the battery cables do not have to be
disconnected first. Before charging at
high vol­
tages, i .e.
"fast charging", you must disconnect
both cables. In either case , follow the instruc­
tions from the manufacturer of the charger.
Fastcharging a battery is
dangerous¢.&. in
Working on the battery on page 166.
It requires
special charging equipment and the knowledge
to go with it. We recommend having your battery
fast charged only by a qualified workshop.
A discharged battery can
freeze at temperatures
of only 32
°F (0 °C). Allow a frozen battery to ..,.
167

.... N
" N ": ... IO "? N U'> .....
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of yo ur vehi­
c le .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire .
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, deco­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords .
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular product ion
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2 .3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre ­
viously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including
Tir es a nd whe els
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially
90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pre ssure
see c::> page 172, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
R einforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire. Rein­
forced tires my be identified as
"X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF"
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim di ameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
1 73

...
would then be underinflated a nd
could fail suddenly .
M ainta ining proper tire pressure
is one of the most important
things you can do to he lp avoid
s u dden tire fai lure . Under inflated
tires are a major cause of sudden
tire fa ilure . Keeping tires at the
r ight pressure is also important
for safe and responsive vehic le
handling, traction, braking and
load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the
vehicle is be ing dr iven at higher
speeds, and then especially when
heavily loaded even within the
permissib le load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your vehicle .
The recommended tire pressures
for your Audi depend on the kind of tires on your vehicle and the
number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be
transport ing .
The tire pressure label is located
on the driver's side 8-pillar . The
tire pressure label lists the recom­ mended cold tire inflation pres­
s u res for the vehicle at its maxi­
mum capacity weight and tires
~ that were on your vehicle at the
": ;;; time it was manufactured. "? N
"' ....
Tir es a nd whe els
If you wish to improve comfort
when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 2 occupants ),
you can adjust tire pressu res to
those specified for normal vehi­
cle load . Before operating the ve­
hicle at ma ximum load, you
must increa se the ti re pressures
to those specified for maximum
vehic le load
c:::> .&. .
Bear in mind that the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can only monitor the tire pressures that
are stored. The system does not recognize the load condition of
your vehicle .
See the illustration
c:::> fig. 147 for
the location of the labe l on driv­
er's side 8-pillar (color of the ac­
tual label and exact location on
the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is
accurate a t the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In
the event of discrepancies, the
tire pressure label on driver's side 8-pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recom ­
mended cold tire inflation pres­
sures for the Audi model covered by your Owner 's Literature at the
vehicle's capac ity weight and the .,.
177

Tires and wheels
and tires are compatible with the tire pres­
sure monitoring system. Otherwise the sys­
tem will register a malfunction and a fault message will be displayed. For more infor­
mation, contact your authorized Audi deal­
er.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regulations
c:> page 218.
Programming a new set of tires
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring syste m
When driving with a new set of tires, you can pro­
gram them to the tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem using the menu disp lay.
.,. Turn the ignition on .
.,. Select the menu:
Set> Tire pressure > Wheel
change.
.,. Confirm that you would like to begin the pro­
gramming process . The message
Wheel sen­
sors are being initialised. This may take a few
minutes ...
appears in the instrument cluster
display.
You can switch between programmed tire sets at
any time without reinitializing the system.
(D Tips
- If the programming process was not com­
pleted successfully, the message
Wheel
sensors could not be initialised
appears in
the display and them indicator light
turns on. If this happens, repeat the proce­
dure.
- Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow chains on the tire.
TPMS Tire pressure monitoring system
malfunction
A malfunction can have various causes.
If the [I] warning light in the instrument cluster
flashes for approximately one minute and then
remains continuously illuminated and additional­
ly
the m symbol appears in the display, the tire
pressure monitoring system is not available. The
198
text Tire pressure! System malfunction appears
in the display. This can have various causes.
- A wheel sensor or other component may have
fai led.
- During initialization the system has detected
more than 4 wheels on the vehicle, for example
while driving next to another car with a tire pressure monitoring system.
- Audi replacement parts were not used.
- If snow cha ins are being used, system function
can be compromised due to the shielding prop­
erties of the chains .
- The tire pressure monitoring system may not
be available because of a rad io malfunction.
- Transmitters with the same frequency, such as
radio headphones in the vehicle or radio equip­
ment, can cause a temporary disruption of the
system through excessive electromagnetic
fields .
- Eliminate the interference if you can and then
proceed as follows: Turn off the engine for 20
minutes. Then drive another 10 minutes.
If the
warning light comes on again, you should con­
tact your authorized Audi dealer immediately
to have the problem corrected.
- Do not use commercially available tire sealants.
Otherwise, the electrical components of the
tire pressure monitoring system will no longer
work properly and the sensor for the tire pres­
sure monitoring system will have to be replaced
by a qualified workshop.

It has always been Audi's policy to contin uously
improve its products . Audi, therefore, reserves
the right to make changes in design and spec ifi­
cations, and to make add itions or improvements
in its products, without incurring any obligation
to install them on p roducts previously manufac­
tured.
Text, illustrat ions and specifications in t his man­
ua l are based on the most up-to-date informa­
tion ava ilable at the time of printing.
All rights reserved. May not be reprod uce d or
translated in whole or in part without the w ritten conse
nt o f A UDI AG. Specifications are subjec t to
c h a nge without notice.
Editorial deadline : 09 /02 /2014
@ For the sake of the environment
P rinted on environmentally friendly pape r
(blea ched without chlorine, recyclable) .
Printed in Germany
© 2014 AUDI AG