2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER oil level

Driving and en vironment
Driving and environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the break-in
period shou ld be 1 ,500 miles (2,500 km) . Do not
use full acceleration for the first 600 miles
(1 ,000 km) and do not exceed the maximum en­
gine speed of 6,000 rpm You must also not use
full accelerat ion between 600 and 1,200 miles
(1,000 to 2,000 km) . From 1,200 to 1,500 miles
(2 ,000 to 2,500 km), you can gradually increase
maximum eng ine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief
pe riods.
During the first hours of operation, there is
greater fr iction in the eng ine and the transmis­
sion than later when all the moving pa rts have
b roken in .
The way you drive during the first 1,500 miles
(2 ,500 km) affects engine quality . If you drive at
modera te engine speeds thereafter, part icu larly
when the engine is cold, yo u red uce eng ine wea r
and increase the potential mileage o f the engine.
Do not dr ive at RPMs that a re too
low. Shift down
when the engine is no longe r runni ng "smooth­
ly". Extremely high RPMs are gover ned automati­
cally.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
W hen you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
d riving through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must no t be any h igher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
142
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
A WARNING
After driv ing through water, mud, s lush, etc .,
the brakes may be s low to take effect because
of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
first by brak ing carefully to restore the full
braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission , suspension or e lectrical system
can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing t hrough
water .
(D Tips
- Check the dept h of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off when driv ing through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming veh icles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to d rive
through safely .
- Avoid driving through salt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner.
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 151,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never r un the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much mo tor o il in yo ur engi ne
~ page 160, Adding engine oil 'l::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt your vehicle .
The cata lytic converter is an effi cien t "clean -up"
device built in to the exhaust system of the vehi ­
cle. The cata lytic conve rter burns many of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
l eased into the atmosphere.
-

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
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

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.

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbol in
the instrument cluster
Ell lights up, you should
check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢ page 159. Top off the oil at your earliest con­
venience
¢ page 160.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 155.
(D Note
Dr iving with an insufficient oil level is like ly to
cause severe damage to the engine.
@ Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is not
an indicator of the oil l evel. Do not rely on
it . Instead, check the oil l evel in your en­
gine at regular interval s, pref erably each
time y ou refu el, and alway s before going
o n a long trip .
- If
you have the imp ression your e ngine co n­
s u mes ex cess ive amo unts of o il, we re com­
mend tha t you cons ult yo ur A udi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly di ­
agnosed. Keep in mind that the accurate measurement of oil consumpt ion requires
great care and may take some time. Your
A udi dealer has instructions about how to
measure oil consumpt ion accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
Ap plies to vehicles: with ma nual transmission
F ig . 1 36 Ins trument cluste r: Engine oil temperature dis­
p lay
Chec king and filling
Fig. 137 Ma rke rs on oi l d ipst ick
Before you ch eck a nyth ing in the engine compart­
ment,
alwa ys read and h eed all WARNINGS .
Determin ing
oil level
.,. Warm up the engine by driving until the instru­
ment cluste r display shows an oil temperature
of 210 °F (100 °C) to 230 °F (110 °C)
¢ fig. 136 .
.,. Park your vehicle so tha t it is hor izon tally level.
.,. Allow t he warm engine to r un fo r abo ut two mi ­
nutes at idle.
.. Shut the engine off and wait two minutes .
.. Check the oil level on the engine oil dipst ick
¢fig. 137.
Oil level within range (v
.,. Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
.,. Add 1 quart (1 liter) of o il. Afterwards, the oil
level shou ld be w ith in range
G) .
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operat ing cond itions, oil consumption ca n be
u p to 1 quart per 600 miles(! liter per 1,000
km). Consumption may be higher withi n th e first
3,0 00 miles (5,000 km) .
159

Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
App lies to veh icles: w ith S tro nic
Fig. 138 Inst rumen t cl uste r: Eng ine oil temperature dis­
play
Fig. 139 Markers on o il dipstic k
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS .
Determining oil level
• Warm up the engine by driv ing until the inst ru­
ment cluster display shows an o il temperature
of 210 ° F (100 °C) to 230 ° F (110 °C)
¢fig. 138.
"Park your vehicle so that it is horizonta lly level.
• Allow the warm engine to run for about two mi-
nutes at idle.
• Shut the engine off and wait two minutes.
• Remove the design cover.
" Unscrew the cap
'l:::,-: to the engine oil fil ling
hole¢
page 157, fig . 135 .
• Check the oil level on the engine oil dipstick
¢ fig . 139.
To check the oil level, the dipstick must be in­
serted completely and the bayonet catch must
be locked (audible locking, turn all the way to
the stop).
160
Oil level within range (v
" Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
• Add 1 quart (1 liter) of o il. A~erwards, the oil
level should be w ithin range
(v .
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating cond itions, oil consumption can be
up to 1 quart per 600 miles (1 liter per 1,000
km). Consumption may be higher within the first
3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Adding engine oil~
Applies to vehicles: wi th manual t rans miss ion
Fig . 140 Engine compartment: Oil fille r cap location
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 155.
"Unscrew the cap ce:;,, to the eng ine oi l filling
hole ¢
fig. 140 .
"Carefully top off with the appropriate oil
<=)page 158.
"Check the oil level again ¢ page 159 .
"Top off the oil again, if necessary.
" Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide
the oi l dipstick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
- Wh ile topping off, the o il must not come in
contact with hot engine parts - f ire hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly secured to
prevent oil from being sprayed on the hot
engine and exhaust system when the engine
is runn ing - fire hazard! .,._

-If your skin has come in contact with the en­
gine oil, you must subsequently cleanse it
thoroughly.
0 Note
- The oil level must not be above range
¢ page 159, fig. 137 0-danger of convert­
er or engine damage! Contact an authorized
Audi dealer to draw off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil ad­
ditives. They may damage the engine and
adversely affect your New Vehicle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regu lations when
disposing of empty oil containers.
Adding engine oil~
Applies to vehicles: with S tron ic
0 N
-N
~
"' a,
F ig . 141 Engin e co mp artm en t: cove r on t he engin e oil fi ll­
er neck
Before you check anything in the engine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 155.
.,. Shut the engine off .
.. Remove the design cover, if necessary .
.,. Unscrew the cap
'l=?1 to the engine oil fill ing
hole ¢
fig. 141 .
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il
¢page 158.
.. Check the oil level again ¢ page 160.
.. Top off the oil again, if necessary .
.. Slide the oil dipstick in and screw the cap back
on the filling hole.
Chec king and filling
A WARNING
- While topping off, the oil must not come in
contact with hot engine parts -fire hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly secured to
prevent oil from being sprayed on the hot
engine and exhaust system when the engine
is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the en­
g ine oil, you must subsequently cleanse it
thoroughly .
(D Note
-The oil level must not be above range
¢ page 160, fig . 139 0 -danger of convert­
er or eng ine damage! Contact an author ized
Audi dea ler to draw off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil ad­
ditives . They may damage the engine and
adversely affect you r New Vehicle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulations when
disposing of empty o il 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.
T he coo ling system is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed. The coolant consists of a mixtu re of
specially conditioned wate r and the manufactur­
er's glycol-basedcoolant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­ els; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both
assures the necessary frost protection and pro­
tects metal components in the engine's cooling
system from corrosio n and scaling. It also ra ises
the boiling point of the coolant .
1111-
161

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
"' Press and ho ld the rear window switch too unti l
the convertible top moves into the service posi­
t ion
r::!) fig. 142.
Opening th e cool ant e xp ansi on tank cov er
"' Stop the engine and allow it to coo l.
"' Switch the ignition off.
"' Carefu lly remove the bolts in the cover(!) using
a screwdriver and remove the cover. The cool­
ant reservoir is located be low
c:> fig. 143 .
Check ing th e engine coolant l eve l
"' Place a rag or cloth on the cap of the coo lant
expansion tank and turn the cap
ca re full y to
the left (counter-clockwise)
c:> A .
"'Read the coo lant level inside the coolant expan­
s ion tank
c:> fig . 143. With a co ld engine, it
must be above the "min" mark. W ith a hot en­
gine, it can be a little above the ind icated
range .
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor
r::!) page 14.
We still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time .
Coolant lo ss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
author iz ed Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
s e a led system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheat ing.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the cap of the coolant expans ion
tank when the engine is hot. You risk being
sca lded.
-
- The coolant add itive, and therefore the cool­
ant itself, is hazardous to health. Keep the
c oolant additive in the or igina l co ntainer out
of the re ach of children.
It is a poison haz­
ard.
Ch eck ing and fillin g
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea lant
to your vehicle's engine coolant . Add ing radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Befo re you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
alwa ys read and he ed all WARNING S
r::!) A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 155.
"' Add coolant m ixed in the correct rat io
c:> page 161, Coolant.
"' Twist the cap on again tightly.
"'Tighten the cap(!) <::!)page 162, fig. 143 again .
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to ex­
act specifications
c:> page 161, Coolant .
We recommend using only coolant add it ive Gl2+
+, G l3
or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do not use a
different additive. In an emergency use pla in wa­
ter unt il you ca n get the correct add itive and can
restore the co rrect ratio . This should be done as
soon as possib le .
If you have los t a considerab le amount of cool­
ant, then you shou ld add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is co ld .
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling .
Do not fill coolant above the "max" mark. Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the eng ine becomes
hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding
from hot coolant by following these steps .
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down .
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
163

Consumer Information
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by vehicle owners .
Also , sa fety and
en vironment al
concerns place very str ict limits
on the nature of repa irs and adjustments to en­
g ine and transmission parts which an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire spec ia l tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially tra ined work­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
formance, reliab ility and safety of the vehicle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliability of your
veh icle and eve n void your vehicle warranty .
Therefore, proof of servicing in acco rdance with
the ma intenance sched ule may be a condition fo r
upho ld ing a possible wa rranty claim made w ith in
the wa rranty per iod .
Above all, operational safety can be adversely af­
fected, creating unnecessary risks fo r you and
your p assengers .
If in doubt about any se rv ici ng, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
equ ipped and qualified workshop. We st ro ngly
urge you to give yo ur au thori zed Audi dealer the
opport unity to perform all schedu led mainte­
nance and necessary repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, original parts and trained specialists to
keep yo ur vehicle runn ing proper ly.
Performing limited mainten ance yourself
The fo llow ing pages describe a lim ited number o f
p roced ures which can be performed on you r vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, sho uld the need a rise and
trained personne l be unavailab le. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
oughly read all of the applicable text and careful­
ly follow the instructions g iven. A lways rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS prov ided .
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment , always read and heed all WARNINGS
c> & and c> & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 155.
216
A WARNING
-
-Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of improperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments o r repai rs.
- Always be extremely careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety pract ices and general com­
mo n sense. Never r is k pe rsonal i njury.
- Do not attempt any of the mainte nance,
checks or repairs described on the following
pages if you a re not fully familiar with these
or other procedures w it h respect to the ve hi­
cle, or are unce rtain how to proceed .
- Do not do any work wi thout the proper tools
an d eq uipment. H ave the necessary work
done by your au thorized Audi dealer o r an ­
other prope rly equippe d an d qua lified work­
shop .
- Always remove the ignition key befo re any ­
one gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your veh icle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack * is not adequate for
this purpose and co uld collapse causing se­
r ious personal in jury.
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w it h the wheels on t he gro und, a lways make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are a lways securely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started .
- Always make sure the transmission selector
lever is in "N" (N eutral) (5 tronic) or Neutral
(ma nual transm iss ion) and the hand brake is
fi rm ly applied.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Cha ng ing the engine settings will adve rsely
affect emiss ion levels. This is detrimental to
the environment a nd increases fuel con­
s u mption.
- Always observe environmenta l reg ulations
when dispos ing of old engine oil, used brake
fluid, dirty eng ine coolan t, spent ba tter ies
or worn ou t tires.