2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER ECU

Driving Safely
_&. WARNING
Do not use the area behind the headrests
<=.> fig. 102 as a storage area . This is the area
where the rollbars deploy. If the rollover pro­
tection system is triggered, objects placed
there can be propelled through the vehicle
and make it more difficult for the rollbars to
deploy. This increases the risk for serious or
life-threatening injuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or roll­
over .
Depending on the collision, sensors throughout
the vehicle and the control module trigger the
rollover system to deploy .
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de­
ploys during front, side and rear collisions above
a certain level of severity .
Retracting rollover protection
Fig. 104 Deployed ro llbar wit h release loop
Fig. 105 Deploye d ro llbar wit h convert ib le top frame fac·
ing upward
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If the rollbars deployed but the vehicle was not
involved in a collision or rollover, you can retract
94
them without special tools. The system is ready
for use again once they are retracted.
.,. Remove the wind deflector, if necessary
<=.>page 40 .
.,. Lower the rear window, if necessary Q page 41 .
.,. Pull the loop upward in the direction of the ar­
row and hold it in place
(D r=.> fig. 104.
.,. Slide the rollbar down@¢.,&. .
.,. Release the loop just before the rollbar reaches
its end position 1 -2 in . (3-5 cm) .
.,. Press the rollbar down firmly until it stops.
.,. Make sure the rollbar is secure before releasing
it.
.,. Close the cover @
Q fig. 105.
.,. Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar.
& WARNING
-
-Make sure your head or other parts of your
body are not located in the area above the
rollbar when pressing the rollbar down. If
the rollbar is not secured correctly, it could deploy again as soon as you release it and
cause injuries .
- Have the rollover protection system checked
by your authorized Audi dealer if it malfunc­
tions. Otherwise the system may not deploy correctly in a collision .
- Modifying the rollover protection system or
individual components is not permitted.
- Work on the rollover protection system
should only be performed by your author­
ized Audi dealer . Otherwise the system may
not function correctly in a collision or it
could deploy unexpectedly .
- Have the system inspected at service inter­
vals. This ensures the system will always be
ready for use. Have your authorized Audi
dealer check the rollover protection system
every two years at the latest.
(D Note
If the rollbars deploy when the convertible
top is closed, do not open the top. Doing so
could result in damage to the vehicle. Please
see your authorized Audi dealer for assis­
tance.

Safety belts
-Never let any person ride with feet on the
instrument panel or stick ing out t he window
or o n the seat.
- Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle
is mov ing . Do ing so will increase your risk of
being injured or killed.
- Never wear belts twisted .
- Never wea r belts over rigid or breakable ob-
jects in or on your cloth ing, such as eye
glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may ca use
injury.
- Never wear the shoulder part of the be lt un ­
der your arm or otherwise out of position .
- Several layers of heavy clothing may inter­
fere w ith correct positioning of belts and re­
duce the ir effectiveness.
- Always keep be lt b uckles free of anything
that may prevent the buckle from latching
sec urely .
- Never use comfort clips or devices that cre­
ate slack in the shoulder belt. However, spe­
c ial clips may be required for the corr ect use
of some chi ld restraint systems .
- Never allow safety be lts to become dam­
aged by being caught in doo r or seat hard ­
ware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt hardware can break in an acci­
dent . Inspect belts r egularly. If webb ing,
bind ings, buckles, or re tractors a re dam­
aged, have belts rep laced by an au thori zed
Audi dealer or qua lified workshop .
- Safe ty belts that have been worn and l oad ed
in an accident m ust be repl aced w ith the
c orrect rep lacement sa fety belt by an a u­
t h orize d Aud i dea le r o r q ualified wor ksh o p.
Replacement may be necessary even if dam ­
age cannot be clear ly seen. Anchorages that
were loaded must also be inspected .
- Never remove, mod ify, disassemble, or try
to repa ir the safety belts yourse lf.
- Always keep the belts clean. D irty belts may
not work properly and can impa ir the func­
t ion of the inertia ree l
¢table Cleaning inte­
rior on page 147.
98
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat firs t -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 1 11 Be lt buc kle a nd to ngue o n the drive r's seat
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To p rovi de maximum pro tect ion , safety bel ts
must a lways be positioned correc tly on t he wear­
er 's body .
., Ad just the fro nt sea t and head res traint p roper­
ly
q page 56, General re commendations.
., Ho ld the belt by the tongue and pull it even ly
across the chest and pelvis¢&, .
., Insert th e tongue into the correct buck le of
your seat until you hear it latch secure ly
¢fig. 111.
., Pull on the belt to make sure tha t it is securely
latched in the buckle .
Automatic safe ty belt retractor s
Every safety belt is equipped with an automatic
belt retractor on the sho ulder belt. This featu re
lock s the belt when the belt is pulled out f ast ,
during h ard braking and in an acc ident . The be lt
may also lock when you dr ive up or down a steep
hill or through a sharp curve . During normal d riv­
i ng the belt lets yo u move freely .
Safety belt pretensioners
The safety belts are equipped wi th a belt pre ten­
s ione r that he lps to tighten the safety be lt and
remove slack when the p retens ioner is activated.
The function of the pretensione r is mon itored by
a war ning ligh t¢
page 13. ..,.

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Convertible locking retractor
Every safety belt except the one on the driver
seat is equipped with a convertible locking retrac­
tor that
must be used when the safety belt is
used to attach a child seat. Be sure to read the
important information about this feature
c::;,page 130.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious injury in an accident
c::;, page 99,
Safety belt position.
- Safety belts offer optimum protection only
when the seatback is upright and belts are
properly positioned on the body.
- Never attach the safety belt to the buckle
for another seat. Attaching the belt to the
wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effec­
tiveness and can cause serious personal in­
jury .
- A passenger who is not properly restrained
can be seriously injured by the safety belt it­
self when it moves from the stronger parts
of the body into critical areas like the abdo­
men .
- Always lock the convertible locking retractor
when you are securing a child seat in the ve­
hicle
c::;, page 131.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting maxi­
mum protection from safety belts.
Fig. 112 S afety be lt pos it io n
Standard features on your vehicle help you adjust
the position of the safety belt to match your body
size .
Safety belts
-height -adjustable front seats.
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
serious personal injury in an accident .
- The shou lder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body. Hold the belt
above the latch tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest so that it sits as low as pos­
sible on the pelvis and there is no pressure
on the abdomen. The belt should always fit
snugly
<> fig. 112. Pull on the belt to tighten
if necessary.
- The lap belt portion of the safety belt must
be positioned as low as poss ible across pel­
vis and never over the abdomen. Make sure
the belt lies flat and snug
c::;, fig. 112 . Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious
injuries by shifting its position on your body
from the strong bones to more vulnerable,
soft tissue and cause serious injury.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c::;, page 97 .
Pregnant women must also be properly
restrained
Th e best way to protect th e fetus is to make sure
that expectant mothers always wear safety belts
correc tly- throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 113 Safety be lt po sition during preg nan cy
To prov ide max imum protect ion, safety belts
must a lways be positioned correctly on the wear-
er's body
r::!;>page 99. .,.
99

Safety belts
• Adjust the front seat and head restraint correct ­
ly
c::> page 56 , General recommendations .
• Make sure the seatback of the rear seat bench is
in upright position and secure ly latched in place
before using the belt.
• Hold the be lt by the tongue and pull it evenly
across the chest and pelvis
c::> fig . 113 , c::> _&..
• Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of
you r seat until you hea r it latch securely
c::>page 98, fig. 111 .
•Pullon the belt to make sure that it is securely
latched in the buck le .
A WARNING
-
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause
ser ious personal injury in an acc ident.
- Expectant mothers must a lways wear the
lap portion of the safety belt as low as pos­
sible across the pelv is and below the round­
ing of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c::> A in Fasten­
ing safety belts on page
99 .
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
bu tton only ofter the vehicle hos stopped .


Fig. 114 Relea sing the tongue from the buckle
• Pu sh the red re lease button on the buckl e
c::> fig. 114. The belt tongue wi ll spring ou t of
the buckle
c::> ,&.
• Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed position .
100
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A WARNING
Never unfasten safety be lt while the vehicle is
moving . Do ing so will increase your risk of be ­
ing injured or killed.
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts con cause se­
vere injuries.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause seri­
ous injury or death . Safety belts can only work
when they are correctly positioned on the body.
Improper seating positions reduce the effective ­
ness of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk
of injury and death by mov ing the safety belt to
critical areas of the body. Imp roper seat ing pos i­
tions also increase the risk of serious injury and
death when an airbag deploys and strikes an oc­
cupant who is not in the correct seating position.
A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle
occupants and especially for chi ldren . Therefore:
• Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sit­
ting positio n in the vehicle while travel ing
c::> _&. .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the r isk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a veh icle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
are correctly restrained and stay in a correct
seating position whenever the vehicle is be­
ing used .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c::> page 97.
Safety belt preten-
.
s1oners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear end collisions and in a
rollover above a particular severity, saf ety belts
in use are tensioned automatically .
The safety belts for the front seating positions
are equipped with safety belt pretensioners. The ..,.

Child Safety
any way during an accident can be struck by
a deploying airbag. This will result in serious personal injury or death.
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional
circumstances the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light must come on and stay on, when ­
ever the ignition is switched on .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni­
tion is switched on the inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier
with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is
being used
~ page 95, Safety belts,
¢ page 102, Airbag system
and
¢ page 122, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a safety
belt
Safety belts for the front passenger can be
locked with the convertible locking retractor to
properly secure child safety seats .
The safety belts emergency locking retractors for
the front passenger's seat safety belt have a con­
vertible locking retractor for child restraints . The
safety belt must be locked so that belt webbing
cannot unreel. The retractor can be activated to
lock the safety belt and prevent the safety belt
webbing from loosening up during normal driv­
ing. A child safety seat can only be properly in­
stalled when the safety belt is locked so that the
child and child safety seat will stay in place.
Always remember : Even though your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system, a
child should always ride in the seat properly re­
strained for its age and size.
130
A WARNING ,.
Improperly installed child safety seats in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury and
death in a collision .
-
-Always make sure that the safety belt re­
tractor is locked when installing a child safe ­
ty seat . An unlocked safety belt retractor
cannot hold the child safety seat in place
during normal driving or in a crash.
-Always buckle the child safety seat firmly in
place even if a child is not sitting in it. A
loose child safety seat can fly around during
a sudden stop or in a collision.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or infant
carriers installed on the front passenger's
seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the
child.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS when­
ever using a child restrained in a vehicle is being used
¢page 122. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat
¢ page 103, Child
restraints on the front seat -some impor­
tant things to know.
A WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must
install a forward or rearward-facing child re­
straint on the front passenger's seat in excep­
tional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front pas­
senger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on whenever
the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on, perform the
checks described .
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does
not come on and stay on whenever the igni­
tion is switched on the inflating airbag will
hit the child safety seat or infant carrier .,,.

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with great force and will smash the child
safety seat and child against the backrest,
door or roof. Have the airbag system in­
spected immediately by your Audi dealer.
- Improper installation of child restraints can
reduce their effectiveness or even prevent
them from providing any protection .
- An improperly installed child restraint can
interfere with the airbag as it deploys and
seriously injure or even kill the child.
- Always carefully follow the manufacturer's
instructions provided with the child safety
seat or carrier .
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and can cause in­
jury in a crash.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
-Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its man­
ufacturer for use on a front seat with a pas­
senger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child restraint
up, against or very near the instrument pan­
el.
-Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and aft
adjustment range, as far away from the air­
bag as possible before installing the for­
ward-facing child restraint. The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat
installed on the front passenger seat will be
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety
seat or infant carrier with great force and
Child Safety
will smash the child safety seat and child
against the backrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must in­
stall a rearward facing child safety seat on
the front passenger seat in exceptional cir­
cumstances.
- A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front passen­
ger seat can put too much pressure on the
weight -mat in the seat and register a heavi­
er weight in the Advanced Airbag System .
The heavier weight registered can make the
system work as though an adult were on the
seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag when
it must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Never install a rearward facing child safety
seat on the front passenger seat unless the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on and stay on
have the airbag system inspected immedi­
ately by your Audi dealer .
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the conver tible locking re trac tor to secure a
child restraint.
Always h eed the child safety seat manufacturer's
instructions when installing a child restraint in
your vehicle. To ac tiva te the convertible locking
retractor:
.. Place the child restraint on a seat.
.. Slowly pull the belt
all the way out .
.. Route it around or through the child restraint
belt path
c:> ,&. .
.. Push the child safety seat down with your full
weight to get the safety belt really tight.
.,. Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for that
seating position.
.. Guide the safety belt back into the retractor un­
til the belt lies flat and snug on the child safety
seat. ..,.
131

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
the trunk). Static electricity can build up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before f illing.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp letely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be in
contact with the container. This will help prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment. Fuel vapors are highly
f la mmab le.
- Always observe local and state/provincial
laws regarding the use, storage and trans­
portat ion of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets in­
dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F8S2 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint .
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the enviro nment.
@ Tips
- Running your engine while refueling may
cause vapors to escape or even fue l to spill
out of the tank. This would then shut off the
fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle w ith the ignition
switched on . The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu­
e ling.
154
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 130 Engine compartme nt: loosening the fuel filler
flap cable
Fig. 131 Eng ine compa rtment: releasing the fuel filler flap
using the emergency re lease
You can release the fue l filler f lap using a red
emergency release loop . It is located in the right
side of the engine compartment .
.,. Open the engine compartment lid.
.,. Loosen the fuel filler flap cable from its mount
@ on the crossmember
r::;, fig. 130 .
.,. Pull the red loop in the direction of the arrow
until the fue l filler flap opens
r::;, fig. 131.
.,. Once the fuel filler flap is open, secure the ca­
ble on the crossmember again .
.,. Close the eng ine compartment lid
r::;, page 156.

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_& WARNING
-When you close the engine compartment
lid, check it to make sure the safety catch
has properly engaged . The engine compart-
Engine compartment
Checking and filling
ment lid should be flush with the surround­
ing vehicle body parts.
-If you notice while driving that the engine
compartment lid is not secured properly,
stop at once and close it.
These ore the most important items that you con check.
Fig. 134 Typical l ayout for conta iners , engine oil dipst ick and engin e oil fille r cap (manual tran smis sion)
Fig. 135 Typica l layout for conta iners, engine o il dipst ick and e ng in e oil fille r cap (S tronic)
With manual transmission:
(!) Power steering fluid reservoir(@).
@ Engine oil filler cap ("1::r.) , ... .. .
@ Engin e oil dipstick ............ .
With S tronic transmission:
(!) Power steering fluid reservoir(@).
139
160
159
139
@ Engine oil filler cap ("1::r.) with en-
gine oil dipstick, ............ .. 161,160
_& 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. ..,.
157