AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Owners Manual

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
-Never use gasoline, stain remover, ben­
zene, paint thinner or other solvents to re­
move.
-Windows
- Remove snow and ice on windows and ex-
terior mirrors with a plastic scraper. To avoid scratches, move the scraper only in
one direction and not back and forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from windows
and mirrors using warm or hot water be­
cause this could cause cracks to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window de­
fogger, do not apply any stickers on the
heating wires on the inside of the window.
-Decorative parts/trim
- Never use chrome care or cleaning prod-
ucts.
-Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the vehicle
must be free of dirt and dust before pol­
ishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish or
wax the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do not
polish away rust film.
- Remove cosmetics and sunblock immedi­
atedly. Otherwise, the paint could be dam­
aged.
-Trim
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not treat
the trim around the panorama sunroof
with paint polish.
- Decorative decals
-To reduce the risk of damage, do not use
any rough powder or abrasive cleaning
products.
- To reduce the risk of damage, do not pol­
ish decorative parts that have a matte fin­
ish.
- Displays
-To avoid scratches, do not use dry cleaning
methods on displays.
- Controls
- Make sure that no fluids enter the con-
trols, because this could cause damage.
- Safety belts
Vehicle care and cleaning
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
them.
- Never clean safety belts or their compo­
nents chemically or with corrosive fluids
or solvents and never allow sharp objects
to come into contact with the safety belts .
This could cause damage to the belt web­ bing .
- If there is damage to the webbing, the
connections, the retractors or the buckles,
have them replaced by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop.
- Textiles/Vinyl/ Alcantara
- Never treat Vinyl/Alcantara with leather
care products, solvents, floor polish, shoe
polish, stain remover or similar products.
- To avoid damage , have stubborn stains re­
moved by an authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam­
age to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fasteners, for exam­
ple on clothing, can damage seat covers.
Make sure hook and loop fasteners are
closed.
- Natural leather
- Never treat leather with solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, stain remover or simi­
lar products .
- Objects with sharp edges such as zippers,
rivets on clothing or belts can cause dam ­
age to the surface .
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes, hard
sponges, etc. when cleaning .
- Do not turn on the seat heating* to dry
the seat.
- To help prevent the leather from fading,
do not leave the vehicle in direct sunlight
for long periods of time. If leaving the ve­
hicle parked for long periods of time, you
should cover the leather to protect it from
direct sunlight . .,.
149

Vehicle care and cleaning
(D Tips
-Insects are easie r to remove from paint that
has been freshly waxed .
- Regu lar wax ing can prevent rust fi lm from
forming.
- Decorative par ts can go through an agent
process, for example by becoming brittle,
d ue to various environmental conditions .
The intensity of their color may change if ex­
posed to excessive sunlight.
150

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 .....
Fuel supply and filling
your f uel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for you r vehicle is unlead­
e d premium
g rade gasoline . See also . Audi rec­
ommends using TOP T IER Detergent Gasolin e
w ith a m inimum oc tane ra ting of 91 A KI (9 5
RO N). Fo r more informa tion on TOP TIER Dete r­
gent Gasoline, p lease go to the off icia l webs ite
(www .toptiergas .com) .
The re commended gasoline octane rating for
your eng ine can also be fo und o n a label loca ted
on the inside of the fue l filler flap . This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your veh icle may also be operated using unlead­
ed reg ular gaso li ne wi th a minim um oct ane r at­
ing of
8 7 AKI/9 1 RON . Howeve r, usi ng 87 AK I/91
RON octane fue l will s light ly red uce eng ine per­
forma nce .
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded g asoline
is availab le t hro ugho ut the USA, C anada, and in
most E uropean countries . We recommend that
you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to areas or countr ies
where unleaded gasoline may not be ava ilab le.
F or mo re in forma tion on refue ling your ve hicle,
see
r:¢, page 152.
Octane rating
Octa ne rating ind icates a gaso line's ability to re­
sis t engine damaging " knock" cause d by prema ­
ture ign ition and de ton ation. There fore, buyi ng
the co rrec t grade of gasoline is very important to
h e lp p revent possib le eng ine damage and a loss
of eng ine performance .
Ga soline mos t commo nly used i n the Uni ted
S tates an d Canada has the following octane rat ­
i ngs that can usually be fo und on the filler pump:
- P rem ium G rade : 91 - 96 A KI
Fuel suppl y and filling your fuel tank
-Regular Grade: 8 7 -90 AKI
E xpla nation of the abb revia tions:
AKI =
Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON+MON)/
2
RON= Research Octane Number
M ON = M oto r O ctane Num ber.
(D Note
- D o no t use any f ue l w ith oc tane ra ti ng s low ­
er th a n 8 7 AKI or 91 RON othe rw ise expe n­
s ive engine damage w ill occur .
- D o
not use le ade d gas olin e! The use of lead ­
ed gasoline will seve rely damage your ve hi­
cle's cataly tic conver ter an d it s a bili ty to
cont ro l exha ust em issions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ethe r)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with a l­
co hol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if th e b le nded mixtu re mee ts the following
c riter ia :
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -knoc k index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend mus t contain more than 2% co -solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
- Anti-knoc k index mus t be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not co nta in mo re than 10% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti -kno ck index mus t be 8 7 AKI or higher.
- Blend mus t contain no t mo re th an 1 5% M TBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perfo rm es­
pecially well for w inter or s ummer dr iv ing . D ur-
i ng seasonal cha nge-over, we suggest that you .,,.
151

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).

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
(D Note
Never drive yo ur vehicle unti l the fuel tank is
completely dry . The irregular supp ly of fuel
can cause misfir ing. Gasoline co uld enter into
the exhaust system and damage the catalyt ic
converter .
Refueling
F ig. 12 8 Drive r's door: Unlocking f uel filler f lap
F ig . 129 Fu el cap hooke d on th e opene d fu el fil ler fla p
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellular
phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off .
Taking the fuel cap off
.. To open the fuel filler flap, press the button
¢ fig. 128 .
.. Unscrew fuel filler cap counte r-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
¢ fig. 129.
Refueling procedure
.. Inse rt the fue l nozz le from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
.. Se lect a medium refueling rate so that the noz­
z le switches off automat ica lly when the tank is
full.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Putting the fuel cap back on
.,. After f illing your tank, twis t the fuel filler cap
clockw ise unti l yo u hear a definite cl ick .
.. Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spill ing o r evapora ting from the fuel
tank always close fue l filler cap properly and
complete ly . An improper ly closed f uel filler cap
may also cause the MIL lamp ¢
page 26 to come
on.
A WARNING
--Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause se­
vere burns and other injur ies.
- Fa ilure to shut the engine off while re fuel­
ing and/or to insert the pump nozzle fully
into the fue l filler neck cou ld cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fue l
sp ray an d overflowing fue l can ca use a fire.
- Never use a ce llular telepho ne while refuel­
ing . T he elec tromagnetic radiation can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapo rs and
cau se a fire .
- Never get back into yo ur vehicle wh ile refu­
e ling . If in except iona l circumst ances you
m ust get ba ck in yo ur vehicle whi le refuel­
i n g, make cert ain that yo u close the doo r
a nd tou ch me tal to disch arge st atic electric­
ity before touch ing the filler nozzle aga in.
Static elect ricity ca n cause s parks that can
ignite fue l vapors re leased d uring refueling.
- Never smoke o r have an open f lame any­
where in or near your veh icle w hen refueling
or fi lling a portab le fue l conta iner.
- For your safety, we strongly recomme nd
that you do not travel with a portable f uel
container in your veh icle. The container, f ull
or empty may leak and cou ld cause a f ire,
especia lly in a cras h .
- If, under exceptional c ircumstances, you
must t ransport a po rtab le fuel conta iner,
p lease observe t he follow ing :
- Never fill a por table fuel co ntainer while it
is anywhere in or on the veh icle (for exam -
p le, in the l uggage compa rtme nt, or on ..,.
153

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
the trunk). Static electricity can build up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before f illing.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp letely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be in
contact with the container. This will help prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment. Fuel vapors are highly
f la mmab le.
- Always observe local and state/provincial
laws regarding the use, storage and trans­
portat ion of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets in­
dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F8S2 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint .
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the enviro nment.
@ Tips
- Running your engine while refueling may
cause vapors to escape or even fue l to spill
out of the tank. This would then shut off the
fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle w ith the ignition
switched on . The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu­
e ling.
154
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 130 Engine compartme nt: loosening the fuel filler
flap cable
Fig. 131 Eng ine compa rtment: releasing the fuel filler flap
using the emergency re lease
You can release the fue l filler f lap using a red
emergency release loop . It is located in the right
side of the engine compartment .
.,. Open the engine compartment lid.
.,. Loosen the fuel filler flap cable from its mount
@ on the crossmember
r::;, fig. 130 .
.,. Pull the red loop in the direction of the arrow
until the fue l filler flap opens
r::;, fig. 131.
.,. Once the fuel filler flap is open, secure the ca­
ble on the crossmember again .
.,. Close the eng ine compartment lid
r::;, page 156.

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

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
_& WARNING
-When you close the engine compartment
lid, check it to make sure the safety catch
has properly engaged . The engine compart-
Engine compartment
Checking and filling
ment lid should be flush with the surround­
ing vehicle body parts.
-If you notice while driving that the engine
compartment lid is not secured properly,
stop at once and close it.
These ore the most important items that you con check.
Fig. 134 Typical l ayout for conta iners , engine oil dipst ick and engin e oil fille r cap (manual tran smis sion)
Fig. 135 Typica l layout for conta iners, engine o il dipst ick and e ng in e oil fille r cap (S tronic)
With manual transmission:
(!) Power steering fluid reservoir(@).
@ Engine oil filler cap ("1::r.) , ... .. .
@ Engin e oil dipstick ............ .
With S tronic transmission:
(!) Power steering fluid reservoir(@).
139
160
159
139
@ Engine oil filler cap ("1::r.) with en-
gine oil dipstick, ............ .. 161,160
_& 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. ..,.
157

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.