brakes AUDI R8 2007 User Guide

Care of vehicle and cleaning145
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
WARNING
•
Do not wash the vehicle with the ignition switched on – risk of
accident.
•
Do not clean the underside of the car or inside the wheel arches
without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp metal parts.
•
Take care when washing the car during the winter: moisture
and ice on the brakes may affect braking efficiency – this could
cause an accident.Caution
•
Compare the track width of your vehicle with the distance
between the guide rails for the wheels in the car wash. Otherwise
there may be a risk of damaging the wheel rims and tyres.
•
Compare the ground clearance of your vehicle with the height of
the guide rails for the wheels in the car wash to prevent any damage
to the underside.
•
Compare the width of your vehicle with the available width when
entering and driving through the car wash.
•
Retract the exterior mirrors to avoid damage. Electrically retract-
able exterior mirrors must NOT be folded in or out by hand. Always
use the electrical power control.
•
Do not wash the vehicle in direct sunlight – otherwise the paint
can be damaged.
•
Do not use insect sponges, or abrasive household sponges, etc.
– they can damage the surfaces.
•
The headlights should only be washed with water – do not wipe
them with a dry cloth or sponge. It is best to use soapy water.
•
Never wash tyres with a jet that sprays the water out in a direct
stream. This could damage the tyres – even if the spray is kept at a
distance and only used for a very short time.
For the sake of the environment
The car should only be washed in special wash bays. This prevents
oily water from getting into the public drains. In some districts,
washing vehicles anywhere else may be prohibited.Waxing and polishingWaxi ng
Waxing protects the paintwork. It is time to apply a good coat of wax
when water no longer forms droplets and rolls off the clean paint-
work.
Even if a wax solution is used regularly in the car wash, it is advis-
able to protect the paint with a coat of wax at least twice a year.
In the summer, you will find it is much easier to remove dead insects
(which accumulate on the bumper and front lid) if the car has been
waxed recently.
Polishing
Polishing is only necessary if the paint has lost its shine, and the
gloss cannot be brought back by putting on wax.
The car must be waxed after polishing if the polish used does not
contain wax compounds to seal the paint.
Caution
Matt painted and plastic parts must not be treated with wax or
polish.Ornamental trim and mouldingsThe metal brightwork on the body is made of aluminium rather than
chrome (for environmental reasons).
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Care of vehicle and cleaning147
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
•
The heating element for the rear window is located on the inner
side of the window. To avoid damaging the heating element, do not
put stickers on the inner side of the window.
•
Never use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from
windows and mirrors. This could cause the glass to crack!
Rubber seals (weatherstrips)The weatherstrips on the doors, windows, engine lid and luggage
lid will remain pliable and last longer if they are occasionally treated
with a suitable care product (for example silicone spray). This will
also prevent premature ageing and leaks. The doors will be easier to
open as well. If they are kept pliable, the door seals will be less likely
to freeze up in the winter.WheelsThe wheels require regular attention to preserve their appearance.
It is important to remove road salt and brake dust by washing the
wheels at regular intervals, otherwise the finish will be impaired.
After washing, the wheels should only be cleaned with an "acid-
free" cleaning agent for alloy wheels. This is available from Audi R8
dealers and specialist retailers. Never leave the cleaning agent on
the rims for any longer than specified in the instructions before
rinsing it off. If the wheel cleaner fluid contains acid it can attack the
surfaces of the wheel bolts.
Car polish or other abrasive agents should not be used. If the
protective paint coating is damaged by stone chips etc., the
damaged area should be touched up immediately.
WARNING
Please note when cleaning the wheels that water, ice and road salt
can impair the effectiveness of the brakes – this can cause an
accident.Care of interiorPlastic parts and leatherettePlastic parts and leatherette can be cleaned with a damp cloth. If
this is not sufficient, plastic parts and leatherette should only be
treated with a special solvent-free plastic cleaner.Applies to vehicles: with carbon partsCarbon par tsThe carbon parts on your vehicle have a painted surface. They do
not need any special care and are cleaned just like plastic parts
⇒page 147.Textile covers and trim partsTextile covers and trim parts (e.g. seats, door trim) should be
cleaned regularly with a vacuum cleaner. This will remove surface
dirt which could otherwise be rubbed into the textile material
during use. Do not use steam cleaners, as the steam could carry the
dirt deeper into the textile material.
Normal cleaning
We recommend that you use a soft sponge or lint-free, micro-fibre
cloth for normal cleaning. Only use brushes on floor coverings and
mats, as other textile surfaces could become damaged.
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Checking and topping up fluids161
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data If a lot of coolant has been lost, wait for the engine to cool down
before putting in cold coolant. Failure to do so could result in
serious engine damage.
WARNING
The coolant and coolant additive can be a health hazard. Store the
coolant additive in the original container in a safe place out of
reach of children – risk of poisoning.
For the sake of the environment
Drained off coolant should not be used again. Drain off the used
coolant into a suitable container and dispose of it in the proper
manner (observe environmental regulations).Radiator fan
The radiator fan can start running spontaneously.The radiator fan is powered electrically. The speed of the fan is
varied according to the temperature registered by a thermostat.
The radiator fan or auxiliary fan can continue to run for as long as
10 minutes after stopping the engine – even after the ignition is
switched off. It may also start running suddenly after a while if•
residual heat raises the coolant temperature, or
•
the hot engine compartment is additionally heated up by the
sun.
Brake fluidNote
When required, the brake fluid should be changed by a
competent mechanic with the proper equipment.Brake fluid gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, this may cause corrosion
in the brake system over time. In addition, the boiling point of the
brake fluid will be considerably reduced. This could adversely affect
the braking ability in certain circumstances.
For this reason the brake fluid must be changed periodically.
Your vehicle's Service Schedule will tell you when the brake fluid has
to be changed.
The brake fluid is replaced by your Audi R8 dealer as part of the
Inspection Service. They are familiar with the procedure and have
the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as the proper
facilities for disposing of the old fluid.
Use only the genuine brake fluid specified by the factory Qualified
workshops know that the brake fluid “DOT 4” is approved by Audi.
The brake fluid must be fresh and unused.
WARNING
Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake fluid
is left in the system for too long. This would seriously affect the
efficiency of the brakes and the safety of the car – risk of
accident.
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Wheels and tyres 170•
If wheel trims are fitted after the car is purchased, ensure that
there is an adequate flow of air for cooling the brakes.For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country
concerned.
Note
•
Tyres with the “R0” mark are specially matched to your Audi. We
recommend that you use these tyres only. Your Audi R8 dealer or
specialist retailer will gladly provide you with further information.
•
Never mount used tyres if you are not sure of their previous
history.
•
For technical reasons it is not normally possible to use wheel
rims from other vehicles. In some cases this also applies to rims
from other vehicles of the same model.
Wheel bolts
The wheel bolts are designed to suit the rims on your car.The wheel bolts are matched to the rims. When installing different
wheels (for instance alloy wheels or wheels with winter tyres) it is
important to use the correct wheel bolts with the right length and
correctly shaped bolt heads. This is essential for the secure fit of the
wheels and for the proper function of the brake system.
Audi R8 dealers have full information on the technical requirements
when installing or changing tyres, rims or wheel trims.
The wheel bolts should be clean and turn easily.
A special adapter is required to turn the anti-theft wheel bolts*
⇒page 182.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres will significantly improve the car's handling
in winter road conditions.–Use only radial ply winter tyres.
– Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
– Only use winter tyres of the correct type approved for
your vehicle.
– Please note that the maximum permissible speed for
winter tyres may be lower than for summer tyres.
– Also note that winter tyres are no longer effective when
the tread is worn down.
– After fitting the wheels you must always check the tyre
pressures. The correct tyre pressures are listed on the
sticker on the driver's door pillar ⇒page 167.In winter road conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the
car's handling. Due to their type of construction (width, rubber
compound, tread pattern), summer tyres give less grip on ice and
snow. This applies particularly to vehicles equipped with wide
section tyres or high speed tyres (code letters H, V or Y on the side-
wall).
Only use winter tyres of the correct type approved for your vehicle.
The sizes of the winter tyres approved for your vehicle are listed in
the vehicle's documents (e.g. EC Certificate of Conformity or COC
document
3)). The vehicle documents vary depending on the
country of residence. Also refer to ⇒page 168.
Winter tyres are no longer fully effective when the tread is worn
down to a depth of 4 mm.
WARNING (continued)
3)COC = Certificate of conformity
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Index 202AABS
SeeAnti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . 132
AC mode
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Acceleration figures
SeePerformance, weights and
dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
acoustic parking system
SeeParking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
AC mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Air distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Air recirculation mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Automatic mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Defrosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Dust filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Pollen filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Rear window heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Seat heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Switching on/off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Air distribution
Air conditioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Air recirculation mode
Vehicles with air conditioner . . . . . . . . 78Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Key-operated switch for front passenger's
airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Triggering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Alterations to the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Anti-dazzle interior mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Anti-freeze additive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Anti-knock properties of petrol . . . . . . . . 152
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Anti-theft alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Interior monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Tow-away protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Anti-theft wheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Audi magnetic ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 88
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Audi parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Automatic car washes
SeeWashing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Automatic headlight control . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Automatic headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Average fuel consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Axle weights
SeePerformance, weights and
dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
BBattery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Disconnecting and connecting . . . . . 162
Long periods of non-use . . . . . . . . . . 162
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Winter conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Winter operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Battery voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Belt tensioners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Bioethanol fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Blower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Brake system
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Brake light failure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Brake pads worn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Brake servo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Warning lamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bulb monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Business equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175CCapacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
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