2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER service

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal
adjustment is more like ly to be made in time.
0 Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the spec i­
fied criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
l ems resulting from the use of fuels differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
sibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unb lended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasol ine grades differ from one manu­
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gaso line grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A l­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effect ive .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas .com).
152
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your en­ gine of peak performance .
([) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel qual­
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
· Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
s id e panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can still
open the flap manually -for detailed instructions
see
~page 154.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
i n
Technical Data .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in­
formation about fuel specifications, see
~ page 151 .
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on-board refueling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escap ing from the tank and
polluting the environment while you refuel your
vehicle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
& WARNING
-Under normal operating conditions, never car­
ry additional fuel containe rs in your car . Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans­ port f uel can be dangerous. Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc., be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transpo rtation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer­
tain the container meets indus try s tandar ds
(ANSI/ASTM F8S2 -86).

Checking and filling
(D Tips
The coolant expansion tank is located under the convertible top storage bay lid
¢page 163.
Engine oil
Engine oil specificat ions
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications .
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oil change . We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
158
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi oil quality standard
your engine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthetic"oil that meets the following speci­
fications.
- ACEA A3 or API SM with a viscosity grade of
SAE OW-30, SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en­
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typically, engines with a specified break-in period (see
¢ page 142) consume more
oil during the break-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabili zed.
Under normal conditions , the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­ perature and road conditions . Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the
oil. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be estab­
lished or specified. There is no alternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note.

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

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. ..,_

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
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

Tires and wheels
-The use of incorrect tire pres­sure values can lead to acci­
dents or other damage. There­
fore it is essential that the driver observe the specified
tire pressure values for the
tires and the correct pressures
for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
-Always inflate tires to the rec­ ommended and correct tire
pressure before driving off.
-Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting them get too hot resulting in tread
separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-Excessive speed and/overload­
ing can cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure and loss of
control.
-If the tire pressure is too low
or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle
will not handle well.
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced
speed to the nearest service
station to check the tire pres­
sure and add air as required .
182
d) Note
Driving without valve stem caps
can cause damage to the tire
valves. To prevent this, always
make sure that factory instal­
led valve stem caps on all
wheels are securely mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also in­
crease the fuel consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are ...

.... N ,..: N "': ....
"' "' N
"' .....
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things includ­
ing proper installation and bal ­
ancing, correct tire pressure and
driving style.
Fig. 149 Tire tread: tread wear indica ­
tors (TWI)
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle
have 1/16 inch (1 .6 mm) high
"wear indicators"c::>
fig. 149 run­
ning across the tread. Depending
on the make, there will be s ix to
eight of them evenly placed
around the tire. Marks on the tire
sidewall (for example "TWI" or
other symbols) indicate the posi­
tions of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced. Dif­
ferent figures may apply in other
countries c::>
.&..
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes pre­
mature wear and can cause sud-
Tires and wheels
den tire blow-out. For this reason,
tire pressure must be checked at least once a month c::>
page 179.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy
acceleration and hard braking in­
crease tire wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are
balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can
cause them to become unbal­
anced, resulting in vibrations you
can usually feel through the
steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be reba­
lanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires . A
wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed .
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can
cause excessive tire wear, impair­
ing the safety of the vehicle. If
tires show excessive wear, have
the whee l alignment checked by
an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
185