oil level AUDI R8 SPYDER 2014 Owners Manual

10 Instrum ents a nd warning /indic ato r li ghts
& WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
¢ page 172, Working in the engine
compartment
before open ing the engine
compartment lid and checking the en­
gine coo lant level.
- Never open the engine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam, or if you see en­
gine coo lant dr ipping from the eng ine
compartment. You could bur n yourse lf.
Let the engine coo l
off first until you can
no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping .
CD Note
- Mounting additional lights or ac cesso ries
in front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
ing effect of the radiator . At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spoi ler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, th is could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Aud i dea le r fo r
ass istance.
Fuel gauge
The fuel ga uge works only when the ignition is
on. When the needle reaches the red area, the
warning light in the instrument cluster will i l­
luminate ¢
page 18 lil]. Tim e to r efu el!
CD Note
Never run the tank completely d ry! An ir­
regular supply of fue l can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex­
haust system . The catalyt ic converter
co uld then overheat and be damaged. Speedometer with odometer
The
speedometer shows you the vehicle
speed, and the odometer shows you how
many miles (kilometers) you have driven.
1S3.9
miles S2YY
F ig . S Speedometer close-up: odometer display
The distance driven is shown in m iles (USA
models) or in kilometers (Canada mode ls) .
Lower odomet er
The lower odomete r shows the tota l number
of miles (kilometers) driven.
Upper odometer (trip odometer )
The upper odometer shows the total number of miles (kilometers) driven s ince you last re­
set the odometer back to zero. You can use
t hi s odometer when you want to keep track of
how many m iles (kilometers) yo u have driven
f o r a si ngle tr ip or e rrand. The last dig it ind i­
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters). Yo u can set
the trip odometer back to zero by pressing the reset button ¢
fig. 5.
With the ignit ion off, pushi ng of the Set/
Check button
~ page 8 , fig . 3 0 can turn on
the display fie ld lighting for a few seconds.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunct ion somewhere in the in­
strument cluster, dEF will appea r in the trip
odometer and w ill s tay on. Co ntact your au ­
thorized Audi dea ler to have the prob lem cor­
rected .
Immobilizer
When the ignition is sw itched on, the data on
the ignition key are scanned automatic ally. .,..

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
Engine oil pressure too low
¢page 14
Engine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature too high
¢page 15
Gearbox malfunction*
¢page 81
Yellow indic ator lights
Yellow symbols indicate a priority 2 malfunc ­
tion -Warning !
Convertib le top operation ./
¢page 15
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
.f ¢ page 15
Electronic Stab ilizat ion Control (ESC)
.f ¢ page 15
n USA models: anti-lock brake sys tem
~ (ABS) ./ defective ¢ page 16
Canada models : anti-lock brake sys­
tem (ABS) ./defective ¢
page 16
Worn brake pads
¢page 17
Tire pressure too low
¢page 207
I Tire pressure monitoring system
11il~, 1 ¢
page206
~ Electronic power control./
~ ¢page17
l!'a USA models: Malfunction Indicator
Bil Lamp (MIL) ¢page 17
Can ad a mo dels: Ma lfunction Indica­
tor Lamp (MIL)
¢ page 17
l"ill Engine speed limitation*
lill ¢page17
11111 Check engine oil leve l
lill ¢ page 17
-----
Engine oil sensor malfunction
, ¢page 18
•
Battery voltage too h igh or too low
¢page 18
Low fuel level
¢page 18
• Windshield washer fl
uid level low ¢ page 18
l:J
Defective light bulb
¢page 18
•
USA mod els: Defective brake light
¢ page 18
[ll
Canada models : Defective brake
light¢
page 18
tm
Light/rain sensor defective (automat-
ic headlights)* defective ¢
page 19
B
Audi magnetic ride
¢page 19
--
Ill
Rear spoiler./
¢page 19
•
USA mod els : Speed warning 1
¢page 72
-
•
Canada mod els : Speed warn ing 1
¢ page 72
•
USA model s: Speed warning 2
¢page 72
•
Canad a models : Speed warning 2
¢page 72
rm
Gearbox malfunction*
¢page81
Other indic ator lig ht s
II
II
Turn signals
¢page 19
USA mod els : Cruise control acti-
-
CRUISE
vated ¢ page 19 ll>

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
accident. Have your vehicle repaired im­
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion .
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
parking brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driving, the fluid level in
the brake fluid rese rvoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop and have the brake system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in c ritical situations. You must a llow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
dis tance used up by fad ing br akes could
lead to an acc ident .
~/ !lr Safety systems
The I (USA models)/ . (Canada models) in ­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e.g .
airbags, pretensioners and i llum inates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
I f t he
I (USA models) • (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi ­
nates wh ile you are dr iv ing, or if it starts to
bli nk, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system . If the light does not illuminate
when you sw itch on the ignit ion, this also
means there is a ma lfunction .
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
t ems, cont act your author ized Audi dealer
immediate ly. Otherw ise the sa fety sys­
tems may not wo rk p roperly in an acci ­
dent.
4 Safety belt warning light
Applies to vehicles: with safety belt warning light
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts .
The warning light . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignition is sw itched on as a re­
minder to fasten your safety belt .
Additional informat ion on safety belts
¢ page 103.
' 0 Generator '
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
whi le you a re d riving, you shou ld contact yo ur
authorized Aud i dea ler. Since the vehicle bat­
tery is discharging, you shou ld sw itch off any
unnecessary electr ica l consumers (for exam­
ple, the air conditioner).
"l!:r. Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbo l appears in the disp lay and
flashes, the o il pressure is too low . In add ition
to the symbol, the following message also ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pres sure is too low
.,. Pull off the road and stop the veh icle.
.. Shut the engine down.
.. Check the engine oil level¢
page 178 .
.. Contact your authorized A udi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If the engine oil leve l is too low, top off oil to
t h e proper level~
page 180 . 1J11>

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
Engine oil level OK
If
the . symbol st arts flash ing again even
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
d ipst ick,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
Instead, con­
tact your author ized Audi dealer for assis ­
tance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev ­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
1\1 requires oil refill or workshop serv ­
ice without delay . Do not wait until the
red oil pre ssure warning symbol.
starts to flash before you respond to
the low oil level warning
11-By then,
your engine may already have suffered
serious damage.
- L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be repaired as soon as possible .
When the. symbol in the disp lay fla shes,
then either the eng ine coo lan t
temperature is
too h igh, or the coo lant
level is too low. In ad ­
d ition to the symbol, t he fo llowi ng message
a ls o appears in the display:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
~ Pull off the road and stop th e vehicl e.
~T urnoff th e e ngine.
~ C heck coolan t leve l c:>page 182.
~ Add coolant if ne cessary c:> page 18 3.
~ Co ntinu e dr iving only after the eng ine coo l­
ant war ning/ indicato r light goes o ut.
~ Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is co rrect, then the
radiato r fan may be t he cause of the malf unc­
tion . I
f the generator warn ing/ indicato r light
sho uld also illum inate
c:> page 14, then the
fan belt may be damaged .
_& WARNING
- If you r vehicle should brea k down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance fro m moving traff ic , tu rn
off th e eng ine and tu rn on the haza rd
warn ing ligh ts
c:> page 48, Em ergen cy
fla sher.
-
- N ever op en the eng ine c omp artmen t lid
i f you see or he ar stea m or co olan t es­
c a p ing from t he eng ine compar tment -
you risk being s ca lde d. Wa it unt il you can
no lo nger see o r hear s team or coolan t
escapin g.
- Th e engine compa rtment o f any vehi cle
is a dangerous area. Befo re you perform
a ny wo rk i n the engine com partment,
turn off the en gine and allow it to cool.
Follow t he war ning stickers
c:> page 172,
Working in th e engine compartment.
(D Note
Do not continue dr iv in g if the . symbo l
ill umina tes . There is a mal function in the
engine cooli ng system -you c ould damage
your engin e.
~ Convertible top operation
T he ind icator light tu rns o n II
- W hen the convert ib le top opens or closes or
- If the convert ible top did not open or close
comp letely .
T he ind ic a tor light blinks if the converti ble top
cannot open or close
c:> page 38.
;;,/ {); Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the G1 i ndicator lamp blinks while dr iv ing,
t h e ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Reg ulat ion) is ac tive ­
ly reg ulati ng .
If the
DJ indicato r lamp ill uminates, the sys­
tem has sw itched the ESC off. In th is case, you .,.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent . Have your vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0 ) Worn brake pads
IJ Che ck brake pad s!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your author ized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all bra ke pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the wa rning lig ht
IJ
comes on togethe r wi th the warn ing light
1111 . Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the wa rning light IJ and the warning
l ight
11111
) w ith the message B rake
pads !
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i deale r or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The~ warn ing/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
on the ignition as a function check .
(D) Tips
If this warning/indicator light ill uminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electron ics . Have
the malfunction co rrected as soon as pos­
sible by you r authorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified workshop.
1) - : USA mod els on ly
-
~ Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
T he Ma lfunction Indi cato r Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnos tic (OBD II) system .
T he symbo l
fl lights up when the ign ition is
turned on and will turn off after the eng ine
has started and has settled at constant id le
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
T he warning lig ht ill uminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your a uthori zed Aud i dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected.
An improperly clo sed fuel filler cap may al so
cause the MIL l ight to illum inate
¢ page 169.
For more information ¢ page 26 .
!7, Engine speed limitation
Ma ximum 6000 RPM
T he eng ine speed is automatically limited to
6 000 RP M. T his pro tects the engine fr om
overheating .
T he eng ine speed limitation
lll deact ivates
once the eng ine is no longe r in t he cr itica l
tempe rature range and you have released the
acce le rator pedal once.
(D Tips
When co ld, the engine speed is l imited to
6000 R PM (w ith the
VlO engine) or
7000 R PM (with the VB engine) to p rotect
the engine. The limit is deactivated once
the oil temperature r ises above 140 °F
(60 °C) and the engine is at operating tem­
perature .
~ .. Checking the engine oil level
II Please add ma x. 1 qt of engine oil!
If the II symbo l comes on, add 1 quart (1 li ­
ter) of oil at the next opportunity
¢ page 180.

18 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
't':r.,. Engine oil sensor defective
If the Ill symbo l illuminates, contact your
author ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor
inspected .
0 Battery voltage low
(•) Low batter y ch arg e: batt ery wi ll be
charged while dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and t he mes ­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
I f th is message turns off after a litt le wh ile,
the battery cha rged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
~ Fuel supply too low
When the~ symbo l illuminates, this means
there are about 2 .6 gallons (10 liters) of fue l
l eft in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
c::> page 168.
If the symbol lights up, even when the re is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
Tank sys­
tem m alfunct ion! Plea se cont act workshop
appears in the display, there is a fault in the
system. Contact a qualified workshop to have
the fault rectified.
<;:> Windshield washer fluid level too
low
If the -· "ymbol illum inates, add w indshield
washer f luid to the washer system
c::> page 188.
~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec­ tive .
If a defect ive b ulb has been detected by the
sys tem or a ligh t bu lb burns out , the
l',sl sym­
bol with a message appears in the disp lay to te
ll yo u which bulb is burnt out and where it is
located. For example:
Rear left turn sign al
After 5 seconds, the message disappears . If
you want to reca ll the message into the dis­
play, p ress the CH ECK button
c::> page 8, fig. 3
(J).
The re are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appear in the disp lay:
- The light bulb has burnt out
c::>page 222.
-The fuse is "blown" c::> page 221, Replacing
fuses.
- The wire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective.
Have the bulb replaced or the connection re ­
paired by your authorized Audi Service depart­
ment.
A WARNING
-- Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex- plode wh ile they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-vo ltage sect ion of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps. Fa iling to do so could re ­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT t<@> Brake light defective
In case of a ma lfunction or component fail-
u re, the symbo l (USA models)/
¢@ ) ing electrical components should be checked,
repaired or rep laced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All wir ing connections
- Brake light switch
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for assis­
tance if necessary.
(D Tips
The brake light sw itch is on ly inspected as
part of the functional check after the en­
gine is started.

24 Driver information system
Selecting settings
The Driver Information System settings are
menu-guided .
Fig. 14 Display: Menu Settings, comp uter selected
(page 1)
• Press the I RESET I button. The Start menu
appears
c:> fig. 14.
• Press the rocker switch until Set is dis ­
played .
• Press the
I RESE T I button . A ll the menus ap­
pear.
• Press the rocke r swi tch until the desired line
is highlighted (cursor)
c:> fig. 14.
• Press the I RESET I button.
• If necessary, scroll by se lecting and activat­
ing the symbol for "Next page" or "Previous
page".
When you have selected the Computer menu
and activated it by pressing the
I RESET I but­
ton, two computer levels appear (computer
1
and computer 2). Now you have to select the
level you want using the rocker switch and ac­
tivate it w ith the
I RESET I button.
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
Fig. 15 Section of ins tru ment cl uster: Service interval
d isplay
The schedule for the next oi l change or inspec­
tion is ca lculated automatically and displayed
accordingly. The disp lay works in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a serv­
ice reminder appears in the display when you
turn on the ignition.
After about
5 seconds the display switches
back to normal. The distance and time re­
maining are updated each time the ignition is
turned on until the date due for service is
reached.
Service due
When the due date for service is reached, the
message
Service due! appears in the instru­
ment cluster immed iate ly after you turn on
the ignit ion . Additionally, a warning tone
sounds. After about 5 seconds the display
switches back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspection is due,
can be shown in the instrument cluster by se­
lecting the service interva l display. Select
Check > Service > Oil change or Service by us­
ing the
I RES ET I bu tton and the rocker switch
c:> page 23, fig. 12.
Resetting the service interval display
Your authorized Audi dea ler will reset the cor­
responding service schedule after performing .,.

_& WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions - risk of an accident!
Audi magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's pref­
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur­
rent driving situation.
SPORT •
Fig. 81 Center conso le : Switch for Audi magnetic ride
.,. To turn sport setting on/off, press the
switch
¢fi g. 81 .
Aud i magnetic ride is an electronica lly con­
trolled damping system . This chassis system
assists the driver by adapting to the particu lar
situation through imperceptible control proc­
esses. The damping provides individual modu­
lation of damping forces. For example, with
damping characteristics set to prov ide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when brak ing.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus­
pension setting emphasizing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting if you prefer a sporty
suspension setting. The LED in the button
II]
comes on to indicate sport setting.
@ Tips
The warning/indicator light Bin the instru­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a
malfunction. Drive to the closest author-
On the road 75
ized Audi dealer as soon as possible and
have the malfunction repaired.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
you r vehicle, you can help ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessar ily during sporty driv­
ing .
When warm ing up, the vehicle is driven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM
(Vl0 engine) or 7000 RPM (V8 engine) in or­
der to raise the engine oil temperature to a
minimum of 140 °F (60 °C). The tires also on­
ly reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can cont inue to run in your ve­
hicle after the engine is switched off. Howev­
er, driving the vehicle to coo l it down is partic­
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the exhaust system, and
the transmission all become extremely hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you should drive
it for a few m iles/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down.
Driving on a track
Before you take your vehicle out on a track ,
ensure that it is in perfect condition. For ex­
amp le, you should check the tire tread and the
brake pads. It is best to increase tire pressure
by about 0.3 bar.
When driving on a track, oil consumption may
be somewhat higher than in "normal" opera­
tion
r=> page 178.
You should definitely inspect your vehicle af ­
ter subject ing it to severe conditions . Are the
brake pads OK? Is there anything unusual
about the tires, including the inner and outer
sidewalls (e.g. tread, blistering)? Are the air
intakes free of leaves and tire dust? Is the oil
level OK? .,,.

The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt -covered
road and the brakes are not used. Likewise,
you clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few ca utious ap­
plications of the brake<=>,& .
Co rrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by brak ing
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed<=> ,&.
Fa ult s in th e bra ke s yste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed. Drive immed iately to
the nearest qualified workshop to have the
damage repa ired. Drive at reduced speed on
the way there and anticipate longer stopping
d istances and higher peda l pressure¢ _&.
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake flu id level is too low . The brake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically .
Brake po wer ass ist un it
The brake power assist un it increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only when the eng ine is run­
ning.
Br ake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
¢ page 214 .
Int ellig ent technolog y 147
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long o r too often. Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not " ride the brakes" by resting you r
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 cl imatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
discs and drum s. Carefully app ly bra ke s
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice coa t­
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care­
fu l brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt -cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- I f you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle a nd have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the veh icle roll to a s top with
the engine shut
off. .,.
•
•

Driving and
environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the
break-in period should be 1,500 miles (2,500
km) . Do not use full acceleration for the first
600 m iles (1,000 km) and do not exceed the
maximum engine speed of 6,000 rpm You
must also not use full accelerat ion between
600 and 1,200 mi les (1,000 to 2,000 km).
Fr om 1,200 to 1,500 miles (2,000 to 2,500
km), you can gradua lly increase maximum en­
gine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief periods.
During the first hours of operation, there is
greater friction in the engine and the trans­
mission than later when all the moving parts
have broken in.
The way you drive during the first 1,500 miles
(2,500 km) affects engine quality. If you drive
at moderate eng ine speeds thereafter, partic ­
ularly when the engine is cold, you reduce en­
gine 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.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaus t
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
veh icles.
Driving and environment 153
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving 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 walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
th rough water.
(D 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 ra ise 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 corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on environmentally sound manner .
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 167,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to emp-
~. ~
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