engine AUDI R8 SPYDER 2015 Owner's Guide

On the road
@ Tips
-Vehicles with manua l transmission: You can
attain the set speed only if the currently en­
gaged gear a llows it and the engine is not
stressed. Shifting to a h igher or lower gear
promptly will allow the engine to run
smoothly.
- The cruise control cannot maintain a con­
stant speed when driving downhill. The ve­
hicle will accelerate under its own weight .
Downshift to a lower gea r or use the brakes
to slow down.
Changing speed
.. Press lever in the 0 or O direction¢ page 71,
fig .
Bl to increase or decrease your speed .
.. Re lease the lever to save that speed .
You ca n also press the accelera tor pedal down to
increase your speed, e.g . if you want to pass
someone . The speed you saved earlier will re­
sume as soon as you release the accelerator ped­
al.
If , however, you exceed your saved speed by
S mph
(10 km/h) for longer than S minutes , the
cruise control will turn off temporarily. The sym­
bol will go out but the saved speed will be re­
tained.
Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the vehi­
cle is not moving .
.. Turn on the ignition .
.. Pull lever into position@¢
page 71 , fig . Bl .
.. Press the lever in the 0 or O direction to in-
crease or decrease your speed .
.,. Release the lever to save that speed .
This function makes it possible, for example, to
save the speed you want before driving on the
highway. Once on the highway, activate the cruise
control by pulling the lever toward @.
72
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
.. Press the brake pedal, or
.. Keep the clutch pedal pressed down longe r, or
.,. Press the lever into position @(not clicked into
place)
¢page 71, fig. Bl, or
.. Drive for longer than 5 minutes at more than
S mph
(10 km/h) above the stored speed .
Switching off completely
.,. Press lever into position @(clicked into place),
or
.. Switch the ignition off.
The system retains the saved speed if you deacti­
vate the cruise control temporarily. To resume
the saved speed, release the brake or clutch ped­
al and pull the lever to pos ition @.
Switch ing the ignition off erases the saved speed.
.&_ WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it
is not too fast for the current traffic condi­
tions -risk of an accident!
Audi magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's prefer­
ence and it adapts automatically to the current
driving situation .
SPORT •
Fig. 82 Center console: Sw itch for Audi magnet ic ride
.,. To turn sport setting on/off, press the sw itch
¢ fig. 82.
Audi magnetic ride is an electronically controlled damp ing system . This chassis system assists the
driver by adapting to the particular situation
liJI,

throug h im perce ptib le contro l processes . The
damping provides individua l modulation of
damping forces. For example, with damping
characterist ics set to prov ide greater comfort,
damping is set somewhat harder for a brief peri­
od only as requ ired, when round ing a curve and
when braking .
Standard setting
Select the standard sett ing if you prefer a sus ­
pension setting emphasi zing comfort.
Sport s etting
Select the sport setting if you prefe r a spor ty sus­
pension setting. The LED in the button
[l] comes
on to indicate sport setting .
@ Tips
The warning/indicato r ligh t R in the instr u­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a mal­
function. Drive to the closest a uthorized Audi
dea ler as soon as possible and have the mal­
function repaired.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
B y care fully warming up and cooling down you r
veh icle, you can he lp ensure tha t it is not over ­
stressed unnecessarily du ring sporty driving.
W hen warming up , the veh icle is driven a t a max ­
i mum eng ine speed of 6 000 R PM
(Vl O engine) or
70 00 RPM (V8 engine) in order to raise the en ­
g ine oi l tempe ratu re to a minimum of 140 °F
(60 °() . The tires also only reach the ir full road
h olding capability once they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can continue to run in you r vehi ­
cle after the engine is switched off . However,
d riving the vehicle to cool it down is part icu larly
important. During sporty driving, the engine and
brakes, the exhaust system, and the transmission
all become extremely hot . Before you park the
ve hicle, you should dr ive it for a few m iles/kilo-
~ mete rs a t light load in the low rpm range to al-
~ low i t to cool down. "': ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
On th e road
Driving on a track
Befo re you take your veh icle o ut on a track, en­
s u re th at i t is in perfe ct condi tion. Fo r ex ample ,
yo u should chec k the tire trea d an d the bra ke
pads . It is bes t to inc rease tire pressu re by about
0 .3 bar.
W hen dr iving on a track , oil consump tion may be
somewhat higher than in "norma l" ope rat ion
¢ page 159 .
You should definitely inspec t your ve hicle afte r
s u bje cting it to seve re condi tions. Are the br ake
pads OK? Is there any thing unusua l about the
t ir es, including the inner and outer sidewalls (e .g.
tread , blistering)? A re the air intakes free of
l eaves and tire dust? Is the o il level OK?
Your a uth orized Audi dea ler or q ua lified wor k­
sho p will be happy to underta ke an inspection be ­
fore and after use on the race track .
A WARNING ._
Some race tracks (e.g. steeply banked turns)
may affect the response of t he ESC.
(D Tips
- Review the t rack requ irements and condi ­
tions befo re you sta rt driv ing.
- W hen d riven on a race track, all vehicle
parts are severe ly stressed. This can result
in increased wear .
73

Transmission
Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
Applies to vehicles: with manua l transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the way
before you can start the engine .
The manual transmission in your Audi is equipped
with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in Neu­
tral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Do not hold the vehicle on a
hill with the clutch pedal partially depressed.
This may cause premature clutch wear or
damage.
(D Tips
- Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift into
Reverse with the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
App lies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 83 Gearshift pattern: 6-speed manual transm iss ion
Drive in 6th gear for optimum fuel economy
when cruising. However, if more acceleration is
required (when passing, for examp le), sh ift
down.
74
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it backward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehicle
completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the shift
l ever briefly in Neutral before shifting into
Re­
verse.
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles : wit h VlO engin e and manual t ra nsmissio n
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration.
Requirement: The engine must be at operat ing
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
• With the engine running, press the button
l:fil
one time. The ESC indicator light II in the
Dr iver Informat ion System display illum inat es
and the message
ESC sport -Warning! Re­
stricted stability appears .
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator pedal all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at 6500
RPM .
• Release the clutch carefully~,&. .
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic conditions allow it and other drivers will
not be endange red or annoyed by your driv­
ing and the vehicle's acceleration .
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when ESC is
sw itched off, especially when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESC back on by pressing the but­
ton
00 .
(D Tips
- When accelerating using the Launch Control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to .,..

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
heavy loads. This can result in increased
wear .
- The Launch Control Program only funct ions
when the parking brake is released and the
vehicle speed is less than 3 mph (5 km/h).
S tronic
Description
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Fig. 84 Shift pattern
Fig. 85 Display : selected gea rs
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically­
controlled manual transmission called S tronic .
Two independent clutches transfer the power be­
tween the eng ine and transmission. They replace
the torque converter used in conventional auto­
mat ic transmissions and allow the vehicle to ac­
celerate without a noticeable interruption in trac­
tion .
The selected mode of operation, the gear engag­ ed and the sport function are shown in the Dr iver
Information System display ¢
fig. 85.
M -Manual operation
In this operating mode, you shift the forward
gears using the selector lever
r=>v page 76 or the
Transmission
shift paddles on the multifunction steering wheel
¢ page 78.
A - Automatic operation
In this operating mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load and
vehicle speed
¢ page 77.
R- Reverse
Only s hift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is runn ing at idle
speed ¢
Li')...
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selector lever to the right
and t ip it towards
R. In reverse gear, the backup
lights illuminate when the ignition is on .
N -Neutral
To engage neutral, you have to move the selector
lever to the left or to the right . If reverse gear is
engaged,
move the selector lever to the left . If a
forward gea r is engaged, move the selector lever
to the right.
Sport function
The sport function is switched on by pressing the
I SPORT ! button on the selector lever cover . Up ­
shifting at a higher RPM makes full use of the en­
gine's power . Shift time is decreased and acceler­
ator pedal response is improved . In addition, in
manua l operation the engine does
not shift au to­
matically into the next gear before it has reached
the maximum permissible engine speed. In auto ­
matic operation, upshifting continues automati­
cally.
P -Automatic parking lock
The automatic parking lock is engaged immedi­
ately after you remove the key. The automatic
parking lock is also engaged if you turn off the
engine while in the A, R, or manual mode posi­
tions .
If you turn off the engine while in the N position
and leave the vehicle key in the ignition, the
transmission remains in the N position for ap­ proximately 20 minutes and then activates the
automatic parking lock . If vehicle movement is
detected within that 20 minutes based on
IIJI.
75

Transmi ssio n
rotation of the whee ls, then the time wi ll in­
crease a ccording ly .
A WARNING
- If a gear is engaged when the vehicle is sta­
tionary, the acce lerator must not be pressed
inadvertently under any circumstances. Oth­
erwise the vehicle will immed iately start to
move - sometimes even if the park ing brake
is f irmly applied.
- Before you or other persons open the engine compartment l id and work on a running en­
gine, select neutral pos it ion
N and firmly
apply the handbra ke. Always read and fol­
low the app licab le warn ings¢
page 155,
Working in the engine compartment.
@ Tips
- If you accidenta lly shifted into N w hile d riv­
i ng, you can engage a gear in the normal
way using the selecto r lever.
- An indicator light i s displayed if a malfunc­
tion occurs while in S tronic. Refer to
~page 78.
Manual mode
App lies to veh icles: w ith 5 tro nic
S tronic allows the driver to shift gears man ua lly.
Starting from a stop
.,. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.. Move the selecto r leve r to the left.
.. Tap the se lec tor lever forwa rd
0 -
.. Re lease the brake pedal and press the accelera -
tor pedal ¢ .&,. .
Shifting
.,. To shift up, tap the selector lever fo rward 0 -
.,. To shift down, t ap the sele ctor lever to the re ar
o.
Stopp ing temporarily
.,. Press the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle
from moving, for examp le at traff ic lights .
Par king
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢.&,. .
76
.. Activate the parking brake .
.. Turn off the ignition and remove the key .
Stopping on an incline
.,. Always keep the vehicle stat ionary using the
foot brake to prevent it from " rolling back"
¢ .&,. . D o not try to p revent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in ­
creasing engine speed.
.. Activate the parking brake.
Starting on a hill
.. With a gear engaged, remove your foot from
the brake, accelerate and slowly release the
parking brake.
When acce lera ting, S tronic sh ifts i nto the nex t
gear in gea rs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 shor tly befo re
the maximum permissib le engine speed is
r eached.
If you have se lec ted a lower gear than the current
one, S tron ic w ill shift down only when the engine
will not be ove r-revved.
You can switch to a utomat ic operation at any
time
¢ page 77.
A WARNING
-
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
ru nning while in gear. If you must leave yo ur
vehicle with the engine r unning, set the
parking brake firmly and engage neutral
N .
- With the engine r unning and a gear engag­
ed, you have to ho ld the vehicle with the
foot brake .
- Do not accelerate when you sh ift gears with
the vehicle stationary and the engine run­ ning.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and sh ift into a lower gear with S
tronic.
- Do not ride the bra kes or press the bra ke
pedal too often or too long. Constant brak­
ing causes the brakes to overheat and sub­
stantially reduces brak ing performance, in­
creases braking d istance or causes comp lete
fa ilu re of the brake system. ..,.

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
(D Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in p lace with the foot brake to pre­
vent it from rolling back. Do not try to prevent the vehicle from rolling back when the gear is
engaged by increasing speed, as this may
damage the clutch.
Automatic mode
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
St arting fro m a stop
"' Press and hold the brake pedal.
"' Tap the se lector lever towards A.
"' Re lease the brake pedal and press the accelera-
tor pedal
¢ ,&. in Manual mode on page 76.
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficia l to
switch temporarily to the manual shift program
¢
page 76 in order to adjust the gear ratios to
driving conditions
manually.
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, S tronic downsh ifts into a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and en­
g ine rpm. It shifts up into the next higher gear
once the maximum specified engine RPM is reached . Exception: you have activated the sport
function.
.&, WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
l) Market -spec ifi c
-
Tra nsm issio n
Launch control program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration.
Requirement: The engine must be at operat ing
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
"' With the engine running, press the
I!]!
!ESC OFFjll button one time . The Ill indicator
light and the message
ESC S port - Cau tion!
Limi ted stabil ity! appears in the driver infor­
mation system display.
"' Press the brake pedal with your left foot and
hold it down.
"' Engage a gear.
"' Press the
I SPORT ! button on the selecto r lever
cover.
"' Press the accelerator pedal at the same time
with your right foot unti l the engine has
reached a constant speed.
"' Remove your left foot from the brake¢.&_ .
A WARNING
--
- Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic cond itions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can b reak away when ESC is
sw itched off, espec ial ly when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you sho uld
sw itch the ESC back on by pressing the
[fil
but ton.
(D Tips
- The tra nsmission temperature may increase
signif icant ly afte r using the Launch Contro l
Program. If that happens, the program may
not be availab le for a few minutes . It wi ll be
available again after a cool-down period .
77

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
(D Note
If S tronic has switched to emergency opera­
tion mode, you should have the malfunction corrected as soon as possible.
Parking lock emergency release
App lies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle.
F ig. 87 Engine compart men t: emergency release
Fig. 88 Engine compa rtment: parking lock emergency re·
lease
The emergency release is located in the engine
compartment.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. Turn the engine off .
.,. Set the parking brake to prevent the vehicle
from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Remove the removable plastic key from the lug­
gage compartment and extend the key to its
full length .
.,. Remove the cover over the emergency release
mechan ism .
Tran smission
.,. Insert the plastic key into the emergency re­
lease mechanism and turn it all the way to the
r ight ~
fig. 88.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Turn the key all the way to the left.
.,. Install the cover.
The
[il indicator light appears in the instrument
cluster if the parking lock was released from
P
using the emergency release. The message Risk
of rolling! P not possible. Please set the parking
brake
also appears.
,&_ WARNING
- Only activate the emergency release whi le
on a level surface or a slight s lope.
- If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure your vehicle with
the parking brake. The vehicle can roll away if it is not secured and cause a crash.
(D Tips
The transmission cannot detect if the parking
l ock was released with the emergency re lease.
An error message appears in the instrument
cluster as soon as the transmiss ion requires
the
P position but th is position is not engag­
ed.
79

Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data
Reco rder (EDR) , insta lled by some manufactu rers
for the express pu rpose of captur ing data fo r re­
trieval after an accident or crash event. ED R 's are
sometimes called "crash recorders" .
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of da ta stored by EDR's that were instal ­
led in a vehicle for the express p urpose of retriev­
ing data after an accident or crash event without
the owner's consent.
Al though you r vehicle is not eq uipped w ith an
E DR, it is equipped with a number of electronic
control modu les for vario us vehicle systems such
as, for example, engine function, emission con­
trol, as we ll as for the airbags and safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record ve­
hicle-related data during norma l vehicle opera­
tion for diagnostic and repair purposes . The re­
cording capacity of the electronic contro l mod­
ules is lim ited to data (no sound is recorded) and
only a small amount of data is actually recorded
over a very l imited per iod of t ime and stored
when a system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of the data then stored
may re late to veh icle speed, direction, braking as
well as restraint system use and performance in
the event of a crash o r other cond ition . Stored
data can only be read and downloaded with spe­
cial equipment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of sk id­
d ing and loss of veh icle contro l.
It works only
when the engine is runn ing. ESC detects certain
d ifficult driving situations, including when the ve ­
h icle is beginn ing to spin (yaw) out of control and
he lps you to get the veh icle back under control by
134
selective ly braking the wheels, and/or reducing
engine power and providing steering assistance
to help ho ld the veh icle on the driver's intended
course. The ind icator light
GJ in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking act ion to help
you contro l the vehicle .
ESC has limitations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not always be able to help out under all con­
dit ions you may come up against. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
s ituations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of fric tion of the road surface. When
there is a sect ion of dry road that is suddenly cov­
ered with water, slush or snow, ESC cannot per­
f orm the same way it would on the dry surface . If
the vehicle hydrop lanes (rides on a cushion of wa­
ter instead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because contact
with the pavement has been interrupted and the
vehicle cannot be braked or steered . During fast
corner ing, particularly on wind ing roads, ESC
cannot always dea l as effectively with difficult
driv ing situations as at lower speeds .
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather condit ions . ESC cannot
overr ide the veh icle's phys ica l limits, increase the
available traction, or keep a vehicle on the road if
road departure is a result of driver inattention.
Instead, ESC improves the possibility of keeping
the vehicle under control and on the road during
extreme maneuvers by using the driver's steering
inputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in­
tended direction. If you are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can prov ide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC includes and/or works together with the an­
ti-lock brake system (ABS), brake assist sys tem
and anti -slip regulation (ASR) . ESC is sw itched on
all the t ime . In certai n situations when you need
less tract ion, you ca n sw itch off ESC by p ress ing
the button
l!l . Be sure to sw itch ESC on again
when you no longe r need less traction. .,..

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
Anti-loc k br aking sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . T he vehicle can st ill be stee red even dur ­
ing hard braking. App ly steady pressure to the
brake peda l. Do not pump the peda l. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help­
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist sy ste m
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis ­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations. You must press and ho ld the brake pedal
until the situation is over.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
Electronic diff erential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*. This function is available up to about 60
mph (100 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR and EDL cannot overcome the
laws of phys ics. Th is is especially important
on slippery or wet roads. If the syst ems be­
gin act ing to stab ilize your vehicle, you
sho uld immediately cha nge your speed to
match the roa d and traffic con ditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks . Do­
ing so wi ll increase the risk of a loss of vehi­
cle contro l, collis ion and serio us personal in­
juries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather cond it ions. The risk of losing con­
tro l of the veh icle increases when driving
Int ellig ent t echnolo gy
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when dr iving too
close to vehicles up ahead. ESC, ABS, the
brake assist system, EDL and ASR cannot
prevent coll is ions .
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even with these assistance sys tems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of veh icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when all
four wheels are eq uipped with ident ical
tire s. Different tire s izes can lead to a reduc­
t ion i n engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems de­
sc ribed a re wo rking.
- If the ind icator light GJ or II (USA mod­
els) ;tiJ (Canada models) appea rs, there
may be a malfunction~
page 15,
~ page 15.
Switching on/off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the
engine.
SPORT •
Fig . 12 6 Cente r co nsole wit h lJ bu tto n
ESC sport mode
In certain situations, it might make sense to a l­
low some slip. For example:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose gro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
135

Intelligent technology
Press the I!! button briefly¢ fig. 126 . The II in­
dicator light turns on and Sport control Warn­
ing! Restricted st abilit y appears in the driver in­
formation system d isplay. Driving stability is lim­
ited in sport mode.
Sw itch ing ESC off
Press and hold the
l!I button for three seconds .
The ESC indicator light
fl turns on and Stabil i­
z atio n prog ram off appears in the display. ASR is
also switched off when ESC is sw itched off.
Sw itch ing on
Press the
l!J button again. The message Stabili­
zation progr am on appears briefly in the disp lay .
_& WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your dr iv­
ing ability and the traffic s ituation allow. This
could increase the risk of slipp ing.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could spin and the vehicle could swerve, especially on
slick or slippery road surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC is
switched off.
(D Tips
If there is a malfunction in the retractable
rear spo iler* or the A udi magnetic ride*, it
may not be possible to activate ESC sport
mode or normal mode may act ivate aga in au­
tomatically.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pad s
During the f irst 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . The break- in pe­
riod can be considerab ly longer for vehicles w ith
ceramic b rake roto rs*. You can compensate for
this s light ly reduced b ra ki ng power by push ing
ha rder on the b rake peda l. Avoid heavy braking
loads during the bre ak-in period.
136
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra kes on today's automobiles a re s till sub­
j ect to wear, depend ing largely on operating con ­
ditions and driving habits ¢& . On vehicles that
a re either driven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dealer more of­
te n tha n specified in the Warranty
& Maint e­
nance bookl et. Failure to have you r brake pads
i nspected can resu lt in reduced b rake pe rform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef­
fect of the engine . This way, you prevent un nec­
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
you r brakes, do not hold the bra kes down cont in­
u o usly. Pump the brakes at in tervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braki ng depending on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond it ions such
as tempera ture and hum idity.
Due to the nature of the materia ls used i n ceram­
i c brake rotors*, noises may become more appa­
r ent at low speeds.
Effect of water and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
through water , in heavy rain, after overnight con­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dr ied fi rst w ith a few careful b rake app lications.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake r otors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
r egular intervals without the dr iver not ic ing and
provides fo r be tter brake response time under
wet cond it ions.
The effect iveness of the brakes ca n be red uced
when the v ehicle is d riv en on a salt-cove red road
and the b rakes are no t used. Likewise, you clean
off a ccumula ted salt coating from b rake d iscs
and pads with a few ca utious app lications of the
brake ¢& .
D ue to the ir sur fa ce character istics, cerami c
brake ro tors * absorb moistu re in such co ndi tions . ..,.