2020 AUDI R8 COUPE weight

Stowing and using

@) Note
Beverage containers in the cup holders should
always
have a lid. Otherwise, the liquid inside
could spill and cause damage to vehicle
equipment.
Add

nal storage compartments
You will find a variety of storage compartments
and holders at various locations in the vehicle.
— Compartments in the doors
— Storage area in the glove compartment. The
glove compartment can be locked using the
mechanical key > page 23.
— Storage compartment under the center arm-
rest*
— Key compartment in the center console
— Coat hooks
— Storage compartment between the seat backr-
ests*

ZA\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of injury, make sure all
storage compartments are always closed
while driving.
— Loose objects can be thrown around the ve-
hicle interior during sudden driving or brak-
ing maneuvers, which increases the risk of
an accident. Store objects securely while
driving.
— Only use the storage compartments in the
door trim panels to store small objects that
will not stick out of the compartment and
impair the function of the side airbags.
— Make sure your view toward the rear is not
blocked, for example by hanging clothing or
objects in the vehicle.
— Only lightweight clothing should be hung
from the garment hooks in the vehicle. Do
not use clothes hangers to hang clothing.
The pockets of the clothing must not con-
tain any heavy, breakable, or sharp-edged
objects. This could impair the effectiveness
of the side curtain airbags.

54
@) Note
Make sure that the heating grid strips for the
rear window defogger are not damaged by
abrasive objects.
Luggage compartment
General information
All pieces of luggage or objects must be securely
stowed.
Even small and light objects can absorb so much
energy during a collision or an accident that they
can cause severe injuries.

Z\ WARNING
—To reduce the risk of injury, always stow ob-
jects
securely in the luggage compartment.
— When transporting heavy objects, the vehi-
cle characteristics will change due to the
shift in the center of gravity, which increases
the risk of an accident. You may need to
adapt your driving style and speed to the
current conditions.
— Never exceed the permitted axle and load
and vehicle weight > page 290.
— Never leave your vehicle unattended, espe-
cially if the luggage compartment lid is
open. Children could enter the luggage com-
partment and close the luggage compart-
ment lid from the inside. This creates the
risk of fatal injury, since the children would
be locked in and may not be able to escape
by themselves.
— Do not allow children to play in or on the ve-
hicle. Close and lock the luggage compart-
ment lid as well as all other doors when you
leave the vehicle.
— Never transport passengers in the luggage
compartment. Every passenger must be cor-
rectly secured with the safety belts in the
vehicle > page 180.
() Note
Make sure that the heating grid strips for the
rear window defogger are not damaged by
abrasive objects.

4S1012721BA
Driving

Driving
General information
A new vehicle must be broken in within the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km) so that all moving parts
work smoothly together, which helps to increase
the service life of the engine.
Do not drive higher than two-thirds of the maxi-
mum permitted engine RPM during the first 600
miles (1,000 km) and do not use full accelera-
tion. The engine can be increased RPM gradually
during the next 300 miles (500 km).
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poor roads, over curbs, and
on steep ramps, make sure that components
that hang below the vehicle, such as the spoil-
er and exhaust system, are not struck because
they could be damaged. This especially ap-
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and vehicles that are heavily loaded.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damage when driving through water, for example
on flooded roads:
— The water must not be any higher than the bot-
tom of the vehicle body.
— Do not drive faster than walking speed.

ZA WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the effec-
tiveness of the brakes may be reduced due to
moisture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake applications should dry off
the brakes and restore the full braking effect.


@) Note
— Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension, or electrical sys-
tem, can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
— Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driving through water > page 62.
@) Tips
— Determine the depth before driving through
water.
— Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse, or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
— Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
— Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion.
aie e TRE erelie ltr)

driving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ-
mental impact, and the wear to the engine,
brakes, and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. Note the following information for efficient
and environmentally-conscious driving:
— Do not let the engine run while the vehicle
parked.
— Use the Start/Stop system > page 62.
— Turn off electrical equipment that is not need-
ed, for example seat heating*.
— Anticipate upcoming traffic situations while
driving to avoid unnecessary acceleration and
braking.
— Utilize the engine braking effect.
— Avoid driving short distances or at high speeds
when possible.
— Avoid adding extra weight to the vehicle if pos-
sible, for example by not leaving roof racks or
bike racks installed when they are not needed.
— Have maintenance performed regularly on the
vehicle.
— Do not drive with winter tires during the summ-
er.
— Make sure the tire pressure is correct
=> page 254.
59

4S1012721BA
Safety belts

Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo-
ple riding in vehicles.

BFV-0184





BFV-0185



(2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or more. At higher
speeds, these forces are even greater.
People who do not use safety belts are also not
attached to their vehicle. In a frontal collision
they will also keep moving forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens
in all kinds of accidents and collisions.
What happens to occupants not wearing
liam llieya
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in-
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!

Fig. 150 The vehicle crashes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the vehi-
cle and the passengers possess energy which var-
ies with vehicle speed and body weight. Engi-
neers call this energy “kinetic energy.”
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be “absorbed” in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor. If the
speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not us-
ing
safety belts > fig. 149, they will keep moving
at the same speed the vehicle was moving just
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wall > fig. 150.
The same principles apply to people sitting in a
vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision. Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton

Fig. 151 A driver not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tre-
mendous forces of impact by holding tight or
bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe-
ty restraint systems, the unrestrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in-
strument panel, windshield, or whatever else is
in the way > fig. 151. This impact with the vehi-
cle interior has all the energy they had just before
the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy, airbags provide only additional
protection. Airbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in-
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor-
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in-
jury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once
and that your safety belts are always there to
181

>

4S1012721BA
Airbag system

12 month old and younger and for “low risk de-
ployment” for children aged 3 to 6 years old (as
defined in the standard).
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light in the
headliner tells you when the front Advanced Air-
bag on the passenger side has been turned off by
the electronic control unit.
Each time you turn on the ignition, the PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF 3; ON @ light will come on
for a few seconds and:
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; will come on if
the front passenger seat is not occupied,
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; will come on if
the electrical capacitance measured by the ca-
pacitive passenger detection system for the
front passenger seat equals the combined ca-
pacitance of an infant up to about one year of
age and one of the rearward-facing or forward-
facing child restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad-
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certi-
fied. For a listing of the child restraints that
were used to certify your vehicle's compliance
with the U.S. Safety Standard > page 213.
— PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; will come on if
there is a small child or child restraint on the
front passenger seat,
— PASSENGER AIR BAG ON @ will go off if the
front passenger seat is occupied by an adult as
registered by the capacitive passenger detec-
tion system > page 198, Monitoring the Ad-
vanced Airbag System.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light comes on
when electrical capacitance registered on the
front passenger seat is equal to or less than the
combined capacitance of a typical 1 year-old in-
fant and one of the rearward-facing or forward-
facing child restraints listed in Federal Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad-
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was certi-
fied.
If the total electrical capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is more than that of a
typical 1 year-old child but less than the weight
of a small adult, the front airbag on the passen-
ger side can deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF 3¥; light does not come on).
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light does
not come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the electronic
control unit and can deploy if the control unit
senses an impact that meets the conditions stor-
ed in its memory.
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
—asmall child that is heavier than a typical 1
year-old child is on the front passenger seat (re-
gardless of whether the child is in one of the
child safety seats listed > page 213), or
—a child who has outgrown child restraints is on
the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #; light comes on in
the headliner and stays on.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal
Standard requires the airbag to meet the “low
risk” deployment criteria to reduce the risk of in-
jury through interaction with the airbag. “Low
risk” deployment occurs in those crashes that
take place at lower decelerations as defined in
the electronic control unit > page 199, PASSEN-
GER AIR BAG OFF $¥; ON ® light.
Always remember, a child seat or infant carrier
installed on the front seat may be struck and
knocked out of position by the rapidly inflating
passenger's airbag in a frontal collision. The air-
bag could greatly reduce the effectiveness of the
child restraint and even seriously injure the child
during inflation.

Z\ WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal-
led on the front passenger seat will be seri-
ously injured and can be killed if the front air-
bag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door or roof. >

189

4S1012721BA
Airbag system

more than the total electrical capacitance of a
child that is about 1 year old restrained in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant re-
straints (listed in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard 208 with which the Advanced Airbag
System in your vehicle was certified), the front
airbag on the passenger side may or may not
deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light comes on
when the electronic control unit detects a total
electrical capacitance on the front passenger seat
that requires the front airbag to be turned off. If
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger side
has not been turned off by the control unit and
can deploy if the control unit senses an impact
that meets the conditions stored in its memory.
If the total electrical capacitance registered on
the front passenger seat is more than that of a
typical 1 year-old, but less than the weight of a
small adult, the front airbag on the passenger
side may deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
Bw. light does not come on).
For example, the airbag may deploy if:
—asmall child that is heavier than a typical 1
year-old child is on the front passenger seat (re-
gardless of whether the child is in one of the
child seats listed > page 213),
—a child who has outgrown child restraints is on
the front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF #%; light in the head-
liner will come on and stay on.
If the front passenger airbag deploys, the Federal
Standard requires the airbag to meet the “low
risk” deployment criteria to help reduce the risk
of
injury through interaction with the airbag.
“Low risk” deployment occurs in those crashes
that take place at lower decelerations as defined
in the electronic control unit > page 198.
Always remember: Please be sure to read the im-
portant information in the sections that follow
and be sure to heed all of the WARNINGS.

ZA WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag in-
flates, always wear safety belts properly.
— If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sit-
ting sideways or out of position in any way,
your risk of injury is much higher.
— You will also receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up against the
airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag > page 187.

Z\ WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat instal-
led on the front passenger seat will be seri-
ously injured and can be killed if the front air-
bag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
— Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the front
airbag when a rearward-facing child re-
straint has been installed on the front pas-
senger seat, nobody can absolutely guaran-
tee that deployment is impossible in all con-
ceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
— The inflating airbag will hit the child seat or
infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against the
backrest, center armrest, door, or roof.
— If you must install a rearward facing child
safety seat on the front passenger seat be-
cause of exceptional circumstances and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light does not
come on and stay on have the airbag system
inspected by your Audi dealer.


Z\ WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, you must in-
stall a forward-facing child restraint on the
front passenger's seat:
— Always make sure the forward-facing seat
has been designed and certified by its manu-
facturer 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.

193

Airbag system

met, be sure to check the light regularly to make
certain that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3;
light stays on continuously whenever the ignition
is on. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
does not appear on and does not stay on all the
time, stop as soon as it is safe to do so and
— reactivate the system by turning the ignition off
for more than 4 seconds and then turning it on
again;
— remove and reinstall the child restraint. Make
sure that the child restraint is properly installed
and that the safety belt for the front passenger
seat has been correctly routed through the
child restraint as described in the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions;
— make sure that the convertible locking retractor
on the safety belt for the front passenger seat
has been activated and that the safety belt has
been pulled tight.
— make sure that no electrical device (such as a
laptop, CD player, electronic games device,
power inverter or seat heater for child seats) is
placed or used on the front passenger seat if
the device is connected to the 12-volt socket or
the cigarette lighter socket;
— make sure that no seat heater has been retrofit-
ted or otherwise added to the front passenger
seat;
— make sure that nothing can interfere with the
safety belt buckles and that they are not ob-
structed;
— make sure that there are no wet objects (such
as a wet towel) and no water or other liquids on
the front passenger seat cushion.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light still
does not come on...
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3%; light still
does not come on and does not stay on continu-
ously (when the ignition is switched on),
— take the child restraint off the front passenger
seat and have the airbag system inspected by
your Audi dealer immediately.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 3; light
should NOT come on...
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light should
NOT come on when the ignition is on and an adult
200
is sitting in a proper seating position on the front
passenger seat. If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
#; light comes on and stays on while driving, un-
der these circumstances, make sure that:
— the adult on the front passenger seat is proper-
ly seated on the center of the seat cushion with
his or her back up against the backrest and the
backrest is not reclined,
— the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or supporting
their weight on the armrest,
— the safety belt is being properly worn and that
there is not a lot of slack in the safety belt web-
bing,
— there are no aftermarket seat covers or cush-
ions or other things (such as blankets) on the
front passenger seat that might cause the ca-
pacitive passenger detection system to miscal-
culate electrical capacitance.
Me eT eae toleol g)
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
ZX WARNING
— If the status of the Advanced Airbag System
has changed while the vehicle is moving, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF 7; ON @ light
blinks for about 5 seconds to catch the driv-
er's attention. If this happens, always stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
steps described above.
— If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF %; light
does not go off when an adult who is not
very small is sitting on the front passenger
seat after taking the steps described above,
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.

ZA WARNING
An airbag system that is not functioning prop-
erly cannot provide supplemental protection
in a frontal crash.
— If the airbag indicator light > page 17
comes when the vehicle is being used, have
the system inspected immediately by your

4S1012721BA
Airbag system



have not been specifically approved by Au-
di.
— Never use additional seat cushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags de-
ploy.
— Damage to the original seat covers or to
the seam in the area of the side airbag
module must always be repaired immedi-
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
— Objects between you and the airbag can in-
crease the risk of injury in an accident by in-
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds or
by being pushed into you as the airbag in-
flates.
— Never place or attach accessories or other
objects (such as cup holders, telephone
brackets, or even large, bulky objects) on
the doors, over or near the area marked
“AIRBAG” on the seat backrests.
— Such objects and accessories can become
dangerous projectiles and cause injury
when the supplemental side airbag de-
ploys.
— Never carry any objects or pets in the de-
ployment space between them and the air-
bags or allow children or other passengers
to travel in this position.
— Always use the built-in coat hooks only for
lightweight clothing. Never leave any heavy
or sharp-edged objects in the pockets that
may interfere with side airbag deployment
and can cause personal injury in an accident.
— Always prevent the side airbags from being
damaged by heavy objects knocking against
or hitting the sides of the seatbacks.
— The airbag system can only be triggered
once. If the airbag has been triggered, the
system must be replaced by an authorized
Audi dealership.
— Damage (cracks, deep scratches etc.) to the
original seat covers or to the seam in the
area of the side airbag module must always
be repaired immediately by an authorized
Audi dealer.
— If children are seated improperly, their risk
of injury increases in the case of an accident
= page 211, Child safety.

— Never attempt to modify any components of
the airbag system in any way.
—Ina side collision, side airbags will not func-
tion properly if sensors cannot correctly
measure increasing air pressure inside the
doors when air escapes through larger, un-
closed openings in the door panel.
— Never drive with interior door trim panels
removed.
— Never drive when parts have been removed
from the inside door panel and the open-
ings they leave have not been properly
closed.
— Never drive when loudspeakers in the
doors have been removed unless the
speaker holes have been properly closed.
— Always make certain that openings are
covered or filled if additional speakers or
other equipment is installed in the inside
door panels.
— Always have work on the doors done by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work-
shop.


Side curtain airbags
Description of side curtain airbags
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
The side curtain airbag system can provide sup-
plemental protection to properly restrained oc-
cupants.

Fig. 166 Side curtain airbags, driver's side: side curtain air-
bag location
The side curtain airbags are located on both sides
of the interior above the front and rear side win-
dows > fig. 166. They are identified by the word >
207

4S1012721BA
Airbag system

How side curtain airbags work
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
Side curtain airbags can work together with side
airbags to help reduce the risk of head and upper
torso injuries for occupants who are properly re-
strained.

B4S-0115

Fig. 167 Illustration of principle: Inflated side curtain air-
bags on the left side
The side curtain airbags inflate between the oc-
cupant and the windows on the side of the vehi-
cle that is struck in a side collision > fig. 167.
When the system is triggered, the side curtain
airbag is filled with propellant gas and breaks
through a seam above the front and rear side
windows identified by the AIRBAG label. In order
to help provide this additional protection, the
side curtain airbag must inflate within the blink
of an eye at very high speed and with great force.
The side curtain airbag could injure you if your
seating position is not proper or upright or if
items are located in the area where the supple-
mental side curtain airbag inflates. This applies
especially to children > page 211.
Although they are not a soft pillow, side curtain
airbags can “cushion” the impact and in this way
they can help to reduce the risk of injury to the
head and the upper part of the body.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag deploys.
This is quite normal and does not mean there is a
fire in the vehicle.

Important safety instructions on the side
ty le S)i)
Applies to: vehicles with side curtain airbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraints. Always
properly wear safety belts and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passenger must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
do their job to provide supplemental protection.

ZA WARNING
Improperly wearing safety belts and improper
seating positions increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death whenever a vehicle
is being used.
— Never let occupants place any parts of their
bodies in the area from which the side cur-
tain airbag inflate.
— Always make sure that the side curtain air-
bags can inflate without interference.
— Use the built-in coat hooks only for light-
weight clothing. Never leave any heavy or
sharp-edged objects in the pockets that may
interfere with airbag deployment and can
cause personal injury in a collision.
— Never use hangers to hang clothes on the
hooks.
— Only use factory-installed sun shades or, if
shades installed after the vehicle leaves the
factory, use only genuine Audi sun shades.
—A deploying airbag inflates in a fraction of a
second and with great force.
— Never attach objects to the cover or in the
deployment zone of a side curtain airbag.
— The airbag deployment zones must be kept
clear at all times. Make sure there are no ob-
jects, pets, or other persons in the space be-
tween any vehicle occupant and any airbag
at any time.
— Do not attach any accessories to the doors.

ZA WARNING
—The airbag system can deploy only once. If
the airbag has been triggered, the system
must be replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop.


209