2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER battery

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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

Checking and filling
-Move selector lever of S tronic to "N" (Neu­
tral); put manual transmission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot com­
ponents will burn skin on contact .
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you see
or hear steam or coolant escaping from the
engine compartment. Wait until no steam
or coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the engine compartment lid.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is still warm . The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary :
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available .
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine is running or being started,
never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever of S tronic to
"N" (Neutral);
put manual transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from getting
caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or other
156
moving parts, or from contacting hot
parts. Tie back hair before starting, and
wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­
cal hazards
¢ .&..
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
@ Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time , inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If you
see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer .
· Closing the engine compartment lid
.. Make sure that the rear spoiler is retracted
¢page 138 .
.. Pull the engine compartment lid down until the
pressure from the struts is reduced.
.. Press the engine compartment lid closed
¢ _A . ..,

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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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
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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

Checking and filling
thaw completely before attempting to charge it
c> &. . However, we recommend not us ing a
thawed battery again because the battery casing
can be cracked due to ice format ion and can leak
battery acid.
Do no t open the battery caps when charging the
battery .
A WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al­
low a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were frozen.
The battery housing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the battery is explosive .
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables while
the charger is operating .
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technician with the proper equipment .
- Battery acid that may spill during charg ing
sho uld be washed off w ith a solution of
warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
CD Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine. This will seriously damage sensi­
tive electronic components, such as control
units, re lays, radio, etc., as well as the batte ry
charger.
@ Tips
- The vehicle battery must not be charged
with a standard small charger that plugs in­
to the cigarette lighter or outl et.
- Only charge the battery through the connec­
tions in the luggage compartment.
168
Windshield washer
container
Fig. 146 Lu ggage compar tment: Wind shi eld wash er fl uid
reservoir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol
Q on its cap c>page 157, fig . 134.
.. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid.
You can fill the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after fill -
ing the container .
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in
¢page 213
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on the
washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter).
CD Note
- Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any
other additives to fill up the windshield
washer reservoir .
- Do not use glass cleaners containing paint
solvent; you risk damaging the paint.

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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