AUDI R8 SPYDER 2011 Owners Manual

A loos e chi ld safety seat can fly around
dur ing a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
wh ich the child restraint is installed is in
an upr ight position . Otherwise, the seat­
back wi th the child safety seat attached
to it could fly forward in the event of an
acc ident or other emergency situat ion.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave ­
hicle is being used
~ page 138. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety sea t on the fron t passenge r sea t
~ page 119, Child restrain ts on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking r etractor for child re ­
straints will be deactivated automatically
when the belt is wound all the way back into t he re trac tor.
~ Press the red button on the safety belt buck­
le . T he be lt tongue wi ll pop out of the buck ­
le.
~ Gu ide the sa fe ty belt all the w ay b ack into
its stowed posit ion.
A lw ays let the safety belt ret ract comp lete ly
into its stowed posit ion. The safe ty belt c an
now be used as an ord inary safety bel t wi th­
out the convert ible lock ing retractor for chi ld
restra ints .
If the convert ible locking retractor shou ld be
ac tivated inadver ten tly, the safety belt must
be unfastened and guided completely back in ­
to its stowed position to deactivate th is fea­
ture . If the convertib le locking retractor is not
deactivated, the sa fe ty belt will g radually be­
come tighter and uncomfo rtab le to wear .
A WARNING
Improperly insta lled child sa fe ty seats in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal inju ry
and death in a collision.
Child Sa fet y 149
-Never unfasten the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convertible locking retractor for
child restraints while the vehicle is mov ­
ing. You would not be restrained and
could be serious ly inju red in an accide nt.
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS
wheneve r us ing a child restrained in ave ­
hicle is being used
Q page 138 . Special
prec autions app ly when insta lling a child
safety sea t on the fron t pa ssenger seat
Q page 119, Child restraints on the fron t
seat -some important things to know.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
T he re a re a number of sources of additiona l
in forma tion abo ut child re st ra in t se lec tion , in­
stalla tion and use:
N HTSA advises that the best ch ild safety seat
i s the one t hat fits you r ch ild and fits in you r
vehicle , and that yo u will use correct ly and
c onsistently.
Try before you buy !
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration
Tel.: 1 -888 -327 -4236 (TTY: 1 -800 -424 -9153)
www . n htsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
T el.: (202) 662-0600
www .safek ids .org
Safety BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE ( English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Span is h)
www .carseat .org
T ransport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1 (800) 333-03 71 o r call
1 (613) 998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa
area
www .tc .gc.ca/ roadsafety
Audi Customer CARE
Tel.: (800) 822-2834 •
•

150 Intelligent te chn olog y
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your veh icle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facture rs fo r the express p urpose o f capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or cras h
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down­ loading of data stored by EDR 's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough yo ur vehicle is not equ ipped wit h an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of elect ron­
ic control modules for various v ehicl e systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
sa fety belts .
These electron ic co ntrol modules also record
vehicle-re lated data du ring norma l vehicle op­
er ation for diagno stic and repa ir purposes .
T he recording capacity of the elec tronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re ­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded ove r a ve ry limited pe riod of
time and stored when a system fault or other condition is sensed by a cont ro l u nit. Some of
the data t hen stored may re late to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
syst em use and performanc e in the event of a
c rash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded w ith special equip­
ment .
Electronic Stabilization
Program (ESP)
The Electronic Stabilization Program increas­
es driving stability .
Fig . 1 33 Ce nt er conso le wi th~ bu tto n
Intent and purpose
T he Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Elec tronic
D ifferential Lock (EDL) a nd Anti-Slip Regula ­
tion System (ASR) are integrated i n the Elec­
tronic Stabilization Program (ES P).
It increas ­
es control over the vehicle in handling condi­
tions close to the limit of "grip", such as when
acce lerat ing and cornering .
It reduces the r isk
of skidd ing under all road conditions and at
all speeds and improves vehicle stability .
When road condit ions are poor, ES P makes it
easier to start from a complete stop as well as
acce le rate a nd d rive up hills . E S P s witches o n
automatica lly when you start the engine. It
shou ld normally be activated at a ll t imes be ­
cause this ensures optimum veh icle stability .
Critical driving situations
Wi th an oversteering vehi cle ( the vehicle
tu rns too sharply and the rear wheels slide to­
ward the o utside of a cu rve), ESP primari ly
brakes the o utside front wheel, with an
un­
dersteering vehicle (the vehicle does not turn
sharp ly enough and pushes out of a curve) it
brakes the inside rear whee l or other addition­
al wheels. This brake inte rvent ion is accompa­
nied by noises .
If the speed of a wheel s lows down too m uch
rela tive to vehicle speed while braking and i t
starts to lock, brake pressure to this whee l is
reduced . This adjustment process can be felt ..,.

as a pulsing motion of the brake pedal, ac­
companied by some noises. In order for ABS
to be able to operate optimally in th is range,
you must keep the brake pedal depressed -
never "pump the brakes" . You should not ex­
pect that braking d istances w ill be
shortened
under all circumstances with ABS . Braking dis­
tance may even be slightly
longer, for exam­
p le on gravel or wi th fresh snow on a slippery
surface .
If a sign ificant
speed differential between the
d rive wheels on one axle is determined (for
examp le, on a su rface that is s lippery
on one
side),
the EDS brakes the spinn ing whee l and
transfers power to the other drive whee ls.
This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the brake system
signal that whee l spin is being controlled.
I f one whee l spins when starting from a com­
p lete stop because o f a different grip (for ex­
ample , one wheel o n ice), keep your foot
hard
on the accelerator until the veh icle starts to
move.
If the wheels spin , ASR wi ll automatically re­
duce engine torque and match power to road
surface conditions .
Switching on Sport mod e
In specific driving situations (e.g. Launch Con ­
trol), you swi tch ASR and ESP to Sport mode
by pressing the
[!I button once . The indicator
light
11 illuminates and ESP sport -Wa rni ng!
Restric ted stab ility
appears . "Slip" is matched
to the speed. You should do this only if your
driving skill and traffic cond it ions permit .
Switching ASR /ESP off
In certain sit uations (e .g . in deep snow, on a
l oose surface, o r when rocking the vehicle
free), switch ASR and ESP off by pressing the
[ill button for more than 3 seconds. The ind ica­
tor light
I) illuminates and ES P sw itc hed off -
Warning! R estricted stability
appears . You
should do th is only if your driving skill and
traffic cond itions pe rmit .
Int ellig ent technolog y 151
Switching ASR /ESP on
Activate ASR/ ESP by p ressing the [!I button
again. The message
ESP on appears in the d is­
play briefly.
Brake overheating
So that the disc b rake on a b raked wheel does
not overheat, the EDS switches off automati­
ca lly if there is un usua lly severe loa ding at
th is wheel. The vehicle is st ill drivable and has
the same properties as a vehicle wit hout EDS .
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDS
swi tches on aga in automatically.
A WARNING
- Even ESP, ABS, EDS and ASR cannot over ­
come the laws of physics . You should
keep this in m ind in particular on an icy
or wet road. If the systems intervene,
you shou ld adjust your speed immediate­
ly to road and traff ic conditions . Do not
be tempted by the increased safety pro­
vided to take risks -you risk having an
accident.
- Please keep in mind that the r isk of an
accident is i ncreased by driving too fast,
pa rti cularly in corners and on icy or wet
ro ads, and by drivi ng too close to the ve­
hicle ahead . Even ES P, ABS, E DS and ASR
cannot eliminate the increased risk of
having an accident.
-Apply the throttle ca re fully when accel ­
erating on a consistently s lippery sur­
face, e.g. on ice and snow . The drive
wheels can spin in spite of the EDS and thereby affect vehicle stability -you risk
having an accident .
- Please note that when ASR or ESP/ASR is
deactivated, the drive wheels can spin on
icy and slippery roads and the veh icle can
break away -the re is a risk of skidd ing!
(D Tips
- In the event of a defect in the rear spoil-
er system or in Audi magnet ic ride, it can
happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be .,.
•
•

152 Intelligent te chn olog y
deactivat ed, or they are activated auto­
matically in the deactivated state .
- If a malfunction occurs in the E DS, this is
signaled by an indicator light, see
~ page 18.
- Some tracks (e.g . steeply banked turns)
may affect ESP response.
Rear spoiler
T h e rear spoil er improv es vehicle handling
and enhances driver control .
Fig . 134 Sw it ch for re ar s po ile r
The rear spoi ler deploys and retracts . Spo iler
operat ion can be set fo r automatic or manual
operation.
Automatic mode (no rmal operation )
-Extending automa tically : This oc curs when
driv ing faster than approximately 62 mph
(100 km/h) or at a certain eng ine compart­
ment tempe rature
1>.
- Retracting automatically : This occurs when
dr iv ing slower than approximately 22 mph
(35 km/h) or at a certain engine compart­
ment temperature
1> .
M anual mode
- Extending manually : Press the switch
~ fig . 134 briefly to extend the rear spoiler
completely .
- Retracting manually : When dr iv ing at
speeds below approximately 12 mph (20 km/h), press and hold the switch to retract
the rear spo iler. When driving at speeds be­
tween 12 mph and 62 mph (20 km/h and
l) The rear s po iler o nly e xten ds or ret racts a bove ac er­
ta in eng in e te mp erat ure in some m odels.
100 km/h), press the switch briefly to re­
tract the rea r spoiler comp lete ly. You cannot
retract the rear spoi ler if it extended due to
the engine compartment temperature .
Indicator light
When the indicato r light f.-j appears, there is
a system malfunction . The rear spoiler may
not be able to extend . This cou ld change the
veh icle's d riving characterist ics at h igh
s peeds. Do not exceed 87 mph (140 km/h) .
Drive to your au thorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed ca n impair handling char­
acteristics, making the ve hicle ha rder to
control.
- I mp rope r operation of the rear spoiler
can cau se crushing injuries. Always ma ke
sure tha t nobody, especia lly children, is
i n the way when the rear spoi ler is de­
p loyed or retracted.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws .
- H ot air from the eng ine compartmen t
can escape thro ugh the rear spo iler when
it is open and it could burn you .
(D Note
-Never push the vehicle or apply force to
t he rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- Ope rate the rear spoiler manually on ly
when the eng ine compartmen t lid is
closed, otherwise there is a ris k of dam­
age .
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler comp artment eve ry 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compa rtment m ust
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debr is.

Braking
New brake pads
During the firs t 250 miles (4 00 km), new
b rake pads do not possess their f ull braking
effect, they have to be "broken in" first. The
d istance can be ten times longer in ve hicles
with ceramic brakes *. Yo u can compensate f or
this slightly reduced b rak ing power by push­
in g harder on the b rake pedal. Avoid heavy
br ak ing loads during the b reak -in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditi ons and dr iv ing habits
c:> & . On ve­
hi cles that are either driven mostly in stop­
a n d-go ci ty traffic o r are d riven ha rd, the
b rake pads should be checked by you r auth or­
iz ed A udi dealer more o ften than specifie d in
the
Warranty & Maintenan ce booklet . Fail ure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n re duced b rake performance.
O n steep slo pes, you shou ld use the b ra kin g
effec t of the eng ine. Th is w ay, yo u prevent un­
n ecessa ry wea r on the bra ke system . If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the bra kes
down continuously. P ump the brakes at inte r­
va ls.
Moisture or road salt
A t speed s above 70 mph ( 110 k m/h) and wit h
the windshield wipe rs swi tched
on (at le ast in ­
terval stage 4), the bra ke pads are br iefly a p­
p lied against the bra ke discs. T his occ urs at
regu lar intervals witho ut the driver noticing
and prov ides for better brake response time
u nder wet condit io ns.
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for examp le, w hen
driving thr ough water or ve ry heavy rain, or
even after was hing yo ur vehicle, the brak ing
effect ca n be red uced d ue to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few ca utious brake applicat ions should d ry off
t he bra ke pads o r rem ove any ice coa tings.
The effective ness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven o n a salt-covered
Intelligent technology 153
road and the b ra kes are no t used . Li kewise,
yo u clean off accu mulated salt coatin g from
brake d iscs and pads with a few cautio us ap ­
plications of t he brake
c:> & .
Corrosion
The re may be a tendency for di rt to build up
on the brake pads and cor ros ion to form on
the discs if t he car is not driven regu la rly or
on ly for short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not use d frequently, o r if cor­
r os ion has formed on the discs, it is adv isa ble
to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> & .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld not ice a sudden in crease i n
brake pedal trave l, t hen one of the two brake
c ir cuits may have fa iled. Dr ive immediately to
the nearest qualified wor kshop to have the
damage repaired . Dr ive at reduced speed on
the way there and ant ici pate longer stopping
dis tances and high er pedal p ress ure c:> & .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occ ur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ro nica lly.
Brake power assist unit
T he bra ke power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate w ith the brake
pedal. It work s only when the engine is run­
ning.
Brake lining wear status
B ra ke lining wear may be che cke d by visual in ­
s p ection of t he condition of the bra ke pads
th ro ugh the open ings in the wheel. If neces ­
sary, the w hee l may be removed fo r thi s i n­
spect ion
c:> page 216 .
A WARNING
- You should perform braking mane uvers
f o r th e purpos e of cleaning the brake
s ys tem only if roa d condit ions permit.
•
•

154 Intelligent technology
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving position . Do not
ride the brakes or hold the pedal down
too long or too often. This could cause
the brakes to get hot and diminish brak­ ing efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Cautiously apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few cau­
tious brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
braking capability, resulting in increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehi­
cle and have it towed to the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Power steering
When the engine is running , power steering
makes i t easier for the driver to steer.
Power steering helps the driver steer the vehi­
cle with little physical effort.
If the engine is not running, the power steer­
ing system is also not working . In this case ,
you will find it extremely difficult to turn the
steering wheel.
If you turn the steering fully to the left or
right when the vehicle is stationary, you place
a very heavy load on the power steering sys­
tem. Turning the steering wheel fully to the left or right will cause noise in the system. It
also reduces engine idle speed.
(D Note
Do not hold the steering turned fully to
the left or right for more than 10 seconds
when the engine is running . There is a risk
of damage to the power steering system .
(D Tips
-In the event of a power steering system
failure, or if the engine is not running
(while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle. However, you will re­
quire more effort to do so .
- If the power steering system has a leak
or is defective, you should immediately
contact a qualified workshop .
- The power steering system requires a
special hydraulic fluid. The power steer­
ing fluid reservoir is located in the en­
gine compartment. The correct hydraulic
fluid level is important for proper opera­
tion of the power steering system. The
power steering fluid level is checked ac­
cording to the Audi maintenance service
schedule.

Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels . This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
t::;> page 150.
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
Snow chains
Where snow chains are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally also applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
Q page 204 , Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Only the wheel/tire sizes specified by the
manufacturer may be used on vehicles with
all-wheel drive
<=> page 199.
A WARNING
-Always adjust your driving to road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the extra
safety afforded by all-wheel drive tempt
you into taking extra risks.
- Although a ll-wheel drive is very effect ive,
always remember that braking capacity
is limited by tire traction. You should
therefore not drive at excessive speeds
on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld beg in to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front-
-
Intelligent technology 155
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions. -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long per iod of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e .g. immobi lizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectr ical ener­
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual cons umers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability. .,..
•
•

156 Intelligent technology
Dynamic energy management
While the veh icle is be ing driven , dynamic en­
e rgy management distributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components . It regu lates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­ mal state of charge for the battery .
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are li mited .
- If starting ab ility is threatened, you are
i nformed by a warn ing
<=> page 156,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display .
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abu ndant electr ical energy is re­
qu ired, but only a little is generated . It is also
cr itical if the engine is not running and elect ri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat­
ing the distrib ution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elect rical compo­
nents are gradually cut back o r switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period.
Take into considerat ion that when you un lock
your vehi cle, some convenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you
turn on the ignition and start the engine. With the
engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for examp le, w ith
the engine turned off, the battery is being dis­
charged.
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption , a message appea rs in the
driver information display.
You have to start the engine to charge the batte ry.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being gene rated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium , consume rs which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporar ily cut
back or sw itched off. Heating systems in par­
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off . These systems will be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You wi ll also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Th is is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gene r­
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T h is not ificat io n r eminds you that the start ing
capability of the engine may be lim ited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery .,..

will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driv ing and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driv ing and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restricted. Have the battery checked as soon
as poss ible by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
Dry sump lubrication
H igh lateral and long itud inal forces affect the
engine and the vehicle during sporty driving.
Dr y sump l ubr ica tion ensures that your engine
i s supplied w ith oil and properly lub ricated
even under these conditions.
I n a "normal" veh icle the o il pump sends the
oil from the oil pan to the lubrication points in
the engine. The oil then returns to the oil pan .
I n extreme situations, the oil pump may draw
in air, which results in insufficient oil pressure.
With dry sump lubrication, the oil is not in the
oil pan (it is "d ry"), but in a separate oi l tank.
While one pump supplies the engine with oi l,
a second pump suctions the oi l out of the en­
g ine and returns it to the oil tank . Because the
oil tank is ta ll and narrow, o il pressure is con­
stant even under extreme conditions.
In addition, the oil pan in vehicles with dry
sump lubrication is noticeably sha llower. Th is
allows the engine to be installed lower in the
vehicle, bringing down the center of gravity .
This improves your vehicle's handling .
Intelligent technology 157
•
•

158 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
Driving and
environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the break-in per iod should be 1,500 miles (2,500
km) . Do not use full acceleration for the first
600 miles (1,000 km) and do not exceed the
maximum eng ine speed of 6,000 rpm You
must also not use fu ll acce lerat ion between
600 and 1,200 mi les (1,000 to 2,000 km).
F rom 1,200 to 1,500 mi les (2,000 to 2,500
km), you can gradua lly increase maxim um en­
gine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief periods.
During the first ho urs of operation, there is
g reater friction in the engine and the trans­
mission than later when a ll the moving parts
have broken in.
The way yo u drive duri ng the first 1,500 miles
(2,500 km) affects engine quality. If you drive
at moderate engine speeds thereafter, partic ­
u lar ly when the engine is cold, yo u reduce en ­
g ine wear and increase the potential mileage
of the engine.
Do not drive at RPMs that are too low. Shift
down when the engine is no longer running
"smoothly". Extreme ly high RPMs are gov­
erned automatically.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
.&_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet b rake roto rs and pads. Dry
t he brakes fi rst by bra king carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
-
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectrical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
through water.
@ Tips
- Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it.
- 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 vehi­
cle to drive through safely .
- Avo id driving through salt water because
it can cause corros ion.
Catalytic converter
You must use lead-free gasoline in your veh i­
cle, otherwise you will destroy the catalyt ic
converter.
Never run the fuel tank completely dry; their­
regular fuel supply could cause misfires . This
allows unburned fuel into the exhaust system,
poss ibly resulting in overheating and damage
to the catalytic converter .
.&_ WARNING ,-
-Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in co nta ct with dry g rass, brush,
fue l spills or o ther material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly addition al under coating or
r u stproofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
To ensure efficient o peration of the Emis­
s ion Control System: