2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER brake light

Transmission
-When acce le rat ing using the Launch Cont ro l
program, all vehicle pa rts are subject to
heavy loads. T his can result in increased
wear.
Steering wheel with shift paddles
App lies to veh icles: with S tron ic
The shift paddles allow you to select gears man­
ually on the steering wheel.
F ig . 8 6 Steer ing w heel: shi ft padd les
• To downshift, press t he paddle on the left 0 -
• To upsh ift, p ress the padd le on the right G) .
You ca n continue to use the manual s hift pro ­
g ram with the se lector lever in the cente r con­
sole.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles : with S tro nic
l'§J Transmis sion : please press the brake pedal
and select the position again
Press th e brake pedal a nd se lect the desi red se­
lec to r l eve r pos it io n aga in. Yo u can then continue
d riving.
[O] Transmission too hot: please modify driving
style
The transmission temperature has increased sig­ n ificant ly due to the spo rty dr iv ing man ner . Drive
i n a less sporty manner u nti l t h e temperature re­
t ur ns to the normal rang e and the indicator light
sw itches of.
[i1 Transmi ssion : System malfunction! You may
continue driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your au-
78
thorized Audi dea ler or q ua lif ied repa ir facility
soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[o.Jij Transmission: Sy stem malfunction ! You
may continue driving in A until you turn the en ­
gine off .
There is a system malfunc tion i n the trans mis­
s io n. The tran sm iss ion i s swi tchi ng to eme rgency
mode. Drive to your author ized A udi dealer or
q ualified repair facili ty imme diate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
l'§J Transmission : System malfunction ! Driving
ability is restricted
There is a system malfunct ion in the t ransmis­
s io n. The t ransm iss ion is swit ching to eme rgency
m ode. Thi s mo de onl y shifts in to ce rtain ge ars or
will no l onger shi ft at all. The eng ine may st all.
D rive to your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
repair fac ility immediately to have t he malfunc­
tion corrected.
[oJ;j Transmission: System malfunction ! Driv­
ing ability is restricted. No reverse gear
There is a system malfun ction i n the trans mis­
s ion . The tran sm iss ion i s swi tchi ng t o em ergency
mode. T his mode o nly shifts in to cer tain gears or
will no longer shift at all . The eng ine may stall.
You cannot e ngage the reverse gea r. Drive to yo ur
aut ho rized Aud i dea ler or q ualified repa ir facility
i mmediately t o have the malfunct ion corrected.
[i1 Risk of rolling! P not pos sible. Please set the
parking brake
- Th e parking lo ck was re le ase d using the eme r­
gency rele ase
~ page 7 9 . O r
- Th e parking lo ck can no l onge r be engage d.
Dr ive t o your authoriz ed Audi de aler or q uali­
fie d repair f acili ty immedia tely to have the ma l­
fu nction cor rected.
• Transmission : System malfunction ! Stop
the vehicle
Do no t con tinue dr iving . Tur n off the ignition and
contact your nea rest author ized Audi d eal er for
ass ista nce.
There is a serious system malfunct ion. Continu -
i ng to dr ive could result in s ubsequent damage. .,.

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
(D Note
If S tronic has switched to emergency opera­
tion mode, you should have the malfunction corrected as soon as possible.
Parking lock emergency release
App lies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle.
F ig. 87 Engine compart men t: emergency release
Fig. 88 Engine compa rtment: parking lock emergency re·
lease
The emergency release is located in the engine
compartment.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. Turn the engine off .
.,. Set the parking brake to prevent the vehicle
from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Remove the removable plastic key from the lug­
gage compartment and extend the key to its
full length .
.,. Remove the cover over the emergency release
mechan ism .
Tran smission
.,. Insert the plastic key into the emergency re­
lease mechanism and turn it all the way to the
r ight ~
fig. 88.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Turn the key all the way to the left.
.,. Install the cover.
The
[il indicator light appears in the instrument
cluster if the parking lock was released from
P
using the emergency release. The message Risk
of rolling! P not possible. Please set the parking
brake
also appears.
,&_ WARNING
- Only activate the emergency release whi le
on a level surface or a slight s lope.
- If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle with
the parking brake. The vehicle can roll away if it is not secured and cause a crash.
(D Tips
The transmission cannot detect if the parking
l ock was released with the emergency re lease.
An error message appears in the instrument
cluster as soon as the transmiss ion requires
the
P position but th is position is not engag­
ed.
79

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

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
Anti-loc k br aking sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . T he vehicle can st ill be stee red even dur ­
ing hard braking. App ly steady pressure to the
brake peda l. Do not pump the peda l. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help­
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist sy ste m
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis ­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations. You must press and ho ld the brake pedal
until the situation is over.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
Electronic diff erential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*. This function is available up to about 60
mph (100 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR and EDL cannot overcome the
laws of phys ics. Th is is especially important
on slippery or wet roads. If the syst ems be­
gin act ing to stab ilize your vehicle, you
sho uld immediately cha nge your speed to
match the roa d and traffic con ditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks . Do­
ing so wi ll increase the risk of a loss of vehi­
cle contro l, collis ion and serio us personal in­
juries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather cond it ions. The risk of losing con­
tro l of the veh icle increases when driving
Int ellig ent t echnolo gy
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when dr iving too
close to vehicles up ahead. ESC, ABS, the
brake assist system, EDL and ASR cannot
prevent coll is ions .
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even with these assistance sys tems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of veh icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when all
four wheels are eq uipped with ident ical
tire s. Different tire s izes can lead to a reduc­
t ion i n engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems de­
sc ribed a re wo rking.
- If the ind icator light GJ or II (USA mod­
els) ;tiJ (Canada models) appea rs, there
may be a malfunction~
page 15,
~ page 15.
Switching on/off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the
engine.
SPORT •
Fig . 12 6 Cente r co nsole wit h lJ bu tto n
ESC sport mode
In certain situations, it might make sense to a l­
low some slip. For example:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose gro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
135

Intelligent technology
Press the I!! button briefly¢ fig. 126 . The II in­
dicator light turns on and Sport control Warn­
ing! Restricted st abilit y appears in the driver in­
formation system d isplay. Driving stability is lim­
ited in sport mode.
Sw itch ing ESC off
Press and hold the
l!I button for three seconds .
The ESC indicator light
fl turns on and Stabil i­
z atio n prog ram off appears in the display. ASR is
also switched off when ESC is sw itched off.
Sw itch ing on
Press the
l!J button again. The message Stabili­
zation progr am on appears briefly in the disp lay .
_& WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your dr iv­
ing ability and the traffic s ituation allow. This
could increase the risk of slipp ing.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could spin and the vehicle could swerve, especially on
slick or slippery road surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC is
switched off.
(D Tips
If there is a malfunction in the retractable
rear spo iler* or the A udi magnetic ride*, it
may not be possible to activate ESC sport
mode or normal mode may act ivate aga in au­
tomatically.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pad s
During the f irst 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . The break- in pe­
riod can be considerab ly longer for vehicles w ith
ceramic b rake roto rs*. You can compensate for
this s light ly reduced b ra ki ng power by push ing
ha rder on the b rake peda l. Avoid heavy braking
loads during the bre ak-in period.
136
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra kes on today's automobiles a re s till sub­
j ect to wear, depend ing largely on operating con ­
ditions and driving habits ¢& . On vehicles that
a re either driven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dealer more of­
te n tha n specified in the Warranty
& Maint e­
nance bookl et. Failure to have you r brake pads
i nspected can resu lt in reduced b rake pe rform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef­
fect of the engine . This way, you prevent un nec­
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
you r brakes, do not hold the bra kes down cont in­
u o usly. Pump the brakes at in tervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braki ng depending on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond it ions such
as tempera ture and hum idity.
Due to the nature of the materia ls used i n ceram­
i c brake rotors*, noises may become more appa­
r ent at low speeds.
Effect of water and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
through water , in heavy rain, after overnight con­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dr ied fi rst w ith a few careful b rake app lications.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake r otors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
r egular intervals without the dr iver not ic ing and
provides fo r be tter brake response time under
wet cond it ions.
The effect iveness of the brakes ca n be red uced
when the v ehicle is d riv en on a salt-cove red road
and the b rakes are no t used. Likewise, you clean
off a ccumula ted salt coating from b rake d iscs
and pads with a few ca utious app lications of the
brake ¢& .
D ue to the ir sur fa ce character istics, cerami c
brake ro tors * absorb moistu re in such co ndi tions . ..,.

Vehicle care and cleaning
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition is
off and follow the instructions from the car
wash operator to reduce the risk of acci­
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourself
from sharp metal components when wash­ ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter. The bra kes
must be dried first with a few caref ul brake
applications .
@ Note
-If you wash the ve hicle in an au tomatic car
wash, you must retract the extend able rear
spoi ler * if necessary, and fold the exterior
mirrors in to reduce the risk of damage .
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded in and out using the power folding
funct ion.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To red uce the risk of damage, do not wash
the power top with a pressure washer. -
To reduce the risk of damage, do not wash
decorative decals * with a pressure washer.
- T o reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect remov ing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply pro­
tective wax. It can destroy the matte fin­ ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int could be damaged
when the stickers o r magnets are re­
moved.
- Do not wash the vehicle using cleaning
products that contain alcohol when the en­
gine is hot. This increases the risk of dam­
age to plastic components, such as cracking.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities spec ial ly de­
signed for that purpose. This w ill reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system .
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individual vehicle
components, refer to the following table . The in­
formation contained there is simp ly recommen­
dations. For questions or for components that are not listed, refer to an authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. A
lso fo llow the informa­
tion found in
¢ .&. .
Cleaning exterior
Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades
Dirty ¢ page 53, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft sponge with a mild soap solutiona>
tail lights
Sensors
/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth w ith an alcoho l-free clean ing sol-
ution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
146
...

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
Checking and filling Engine compartment lid
Releasing the engine compartment lid
The engine compartment lid is released from in­
side the vehicle.
~
-------- .J;
Fig. 132 Driver's side: releasing t he engine compartment
lid
Requirement: The ignition must be switched on .
" Make sure the rear spoiler is retracted
¢page 138.
"Pull the button @. The engine compartment lid
opens slight ly.
" Open the engi ne compartment lid¢_&, .
& WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you. To reduce
t he risk of be ing burned, never open the en­
gi ne comp artment lid i f yo u s ee or he ar s team
or cool an t es caping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait unt il no steam or coo lant can be
seen or heard befo re carefully open ing the e n­
gine compartment lid.
CD Note
To preve nt d amage to t he veh icle, only open
t he engine compartment lid when the conver ­
tible top storage bay lid is closed.
@ Tips
An emergency release can be use d if the en­
gi ne compa rtment lid canno t be re leased with
the button @¢
page 155 .
-
Checking and filling
Engine compartment lid emergency release
The emergency release loop is located under the
right trim panel near the front passenger seat.
F ig . 1 33 Front passenger footwell: emerge ncy release loop
"Ma ke su re the rea r spoile r is retracted
¢page 138.
" Pull the loop forward to release the engine
compartment lid. The engine compartment lid
opens slightly.
" Open the engine compartment lid¢ &,
in Re­
leasing the engine compartment lid on
page 155.
CD Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, o nly open
the engine compartment lid when the conve r­
tib le to p storage bay lid is closed.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engin e compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the
eng ine compartm ent, for example checking and
filling the differ ent fluid s, there is a ri sk of in­
jury, burns and accident s. To prevent personal
injury alway s ob serve the following WARN­
INGS . The engine compartment of any vehicle is
a hazardou s area !
c:> &.
,&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, be fore yo u check any­
thing u nder the engine compartment lid:
- Sw itch off the engi ne .
- Remove the ignition key .
- Apply the par king brake.
-
155

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. ..,_