2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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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
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"' 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

Checking and filling
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo lant in
the summer by adding p lain water.
The propor·
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50%
but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency .
If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the ve hicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- - 31 ° F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada .
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended .
& 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
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­
dit ions . This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
l y cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant add itive to 60%.
- When adding coolant addit ive to your cool­
in g system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive G12++ or G13 for your vehicle. This
coolant additive is available at authorized
Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can
signif icant ly reduce corrosion protection.
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add ing ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
funct ion and pe rformance of your cooling
system and could result in damage not cov­
ered by you r New Vehicle Lim ited Warranty.
162
Checking the engine coolant level
Proceed carefully when checking the coolant .
Fig. 142 Conve rtible top : serv ice pos it ion
Fig. 143 Co nve rtible top storage bay : coolant expa nsion
tank
Before you check anything in the eng ine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c:> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 155
and park your vehicle on a leve l su r­
face.
The coolant expansion tank is loca ted in the right
s ide of the convertib le top storage bay under the
round metal cover
cf;, fig. 143. The convertible top
must be in the service position to check the cool­
ant level
i=;, fig . 142.
Bringing the closed convertible top into the
service position
.,. Switch the ignition on.
.,. Pull and ho ld the convertib le top switch.
.,. Press and hold the rear window switch too until
the convertible top moves into the service posi­
tion <=>
fig. 142.
Bringing the open convertible to into the
service position
.,. Switch the ignition on .
.,. Press and hold the convert ible top switch .

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"' 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

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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N 1.1'1 .....
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for service. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than 5 years .
Disconnecting the batt ery terminal s
Some vehicle funct ions (power w indow regula ­
tors , fo r example) are lost if the battery termi­
na ls are disconnected. These functions have to be
re learned after the battery terminals are con ­
nected again. To prevent this , the batte ry shou ld
only be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
V ehicl es not dri ven fo r lo ng p eriod s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks , e lectrica l components are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumption and maintains s tarting ca­
pability over a longer period<=> page 140. Some
of the convenience funct ions may not operate ,
such as the inter ior lights or powe r seat ad just­
ment. The convenience functions will be ava ilable
again when you switch on the ignition and start
the eng ine.
Wint er op erati on
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . This is because
more power is also consumed w hile start ing , and
the head lights, rear w indow defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, part icu­
l arly in city traffic o r when traveling only short
d ista nces . Let you r a utho rized Aud i dea le r check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter
sets in <=> page 167. A well charged battery will
not on ly prevent starting prob lems when the
w eather is cold, but will also last longer.
R eplacing battery
The new battery mu st ha ve the same capacity,
voltage
(12 vo lts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing, as the original battery . Specifica ­
tions are listed on the battery housing. Batteries
specia lly deve loped by Audi fulfill the mainte­
nance, output, and safety requ irements .
Check ing and fillin g
When installing the battery, make sure the igni­
tion and all electrica l consumers are switched off
<=> 0 .
We recommend that you use main tenance-free or
cycle -res istant /leak-p roof batteries according to
the standards TL
825 06 (from Apri l 2008) and
VW 7
50 73 (from Apr il 2010).
Replac ing the bat tery shou ld be carried by a
qualified workshop. Please fo llow the ins truc ­
tions on the battery cover .
(D Note
-All work on the battery req uires techn ica l
knowledge . Please contact an Audi dealer ­
ship or another authorized facility for ques­
tions about the battery - danger of ac id
burns and explosion ha zard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not try
to change the battery's liquid level, other­
w ise detonating gas will escape from the
battery- exp losion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the luggage compart­ ment cannot leak, because the e lectrolyte
for this battery is absorbed into a special glass mat . This leak-proof battery must not
be replace with a convent ional battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the side
of the battery is connected, otherwise
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
- Battery holder and terminals always have to
be sec ured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings be low <=>&. in Working on the bat­
tery on page 166.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
a battery, we recommend your autho rized
Audi dealer change the battery for you . Bat­
teries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must
a lways be d isposed of properly in compliance
with all envi ronmental regula tions . Disposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the environment . Make sure that the
removed battery cannot overba lance, other­
wise sulf uric ac id might escape!
165

Checking and filling
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it
from being damaged and having to be re­ placed .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery!
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment behind a
cover. Before you work on or near
the battery ,
read and heed all WARNINGS c> &_.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
&
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al·
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of reach
of children.
.&_ WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
electrical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even fire. Read and heed the fol­
lowing WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
166
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
-Always wear gloves and eye protection . Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get medical at­
tention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega- tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This would cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which could
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri­
cal system, switch off the engine and igni­
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The
negative cable on the battery must be dis­
connected. If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical consumers are switched off. Re­
connect the positive cable first and then the
~