2007 AUDI R8 wheel

Automatic gearbox 92maximum engine speed is reached, unless you have activated the
sport function ⇒page 90.
If you select a lower gear, the R tronic gearbox will not shift down
until there is no risk of overrevving the engine.
You can change over to automatic mode at any time ⇒page 92.
WARNING
•
The driver should never get out of the vehicle when the engine
is running and a gear is engaged. If you have to leave your vehicle
while the engine is running, you must apply the parking brake and
engage neutral gear (N).
•
If the engine is running and a gear is engaged, you will need to
hold the car with the footbrake.
•
Do not press the accelerator while selecting a gear with the
vehicle stationary and the engine running, as this could cause an
accident.
•
To avoid rolling back on gradients always hold the vehicle with
the footbrake if you have to stop. Never attempt to hold the vehicle
with the clutch when stopping on a gradient. The clutch is disen-
gaged automatically if it is overloaded and becomes too hot - acci-
dent risk! Before the clutch is disengaged, the vehicle will jolt and
the driver information system will display a warning that the
clutch is overloaded.
•
Before you drive down a steep gradient, reduce the speed and
use the R tronic to select a lower gear.
•
Never allow the brake to drag and do not use the brake pedal
too often or for long periods. Constant braking will cause the
brakes to overheat and will considerably reduce the effectiveness
of the brakes. It will increase the braking distance and could cause
the brake system to fail.
Applies to vehicles: with R tronicAutomatic modeThe gearbox changes the forward gears up and down
automatically.Driving away from a standstill
– Press and hold the brake pedal.
– Briefly push the selector lever towards position A.
– Release the brake and press the accelerator ⇒ in
“Manual mode” on page 91.In some situations (such as when driving on mountain roads) it can
be advantageous to switch temporarily to the manual shift
programme ⇒page 91, so that the gear ratios can be selected
manually to suit the driving conditions.Applies to vehicles: with R tronicKick-down featureWhen the accelerator pedal is pressed right down past the point of
resistance at full throttle, the R tronic gearbox will shift down to a
lower gear, depending on road speed and engine speed. The upshift
to the next higher gear is delayed until the engine reaches
maximum rpm. This does not apply if you have activated the sport
function.
WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slippery or wet, the kick-
down feature could cause the driving wheels to spin, which could
result in skidding.
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Automatic gearbox93
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
Applies to vehicles: with R tronicLaunch control programmeThe launch control programme enables maximum accel-
eration.– Press the ESP switch once while the engine is running.
The ESP warning lamp
 will light up in the driver infor-
mation system display.
– Press and hold the brake pedal with your left foot.
– Engage a gear.
– Press the button.
– Press the accelerator all the way down with your right
foot until the engine reaches a constant rpm speed.
– Take your left foot off the brake ⇒.
WARNING
•
Always adapt your driving style to the traffic conditions.
•
Only use the launch control programme when road and traffic
conditions permit, and make sure your manner of driving and
accelerating the vehicle does not inconvenience or endanger other
road users.
•
Please note that, when the ESP is switched off, the driven
wheels may start to spin, causing the vehicle to lose grip, in partic-
ular on slippery or wet roads - danger of skidding!
•
When acceleration has been completed, the ESP should be
reactivated by pressing the ESP switch.
Note
Accelerating with the launch control programme places a heavy
load on all parts of the vehicle. This can result in increased wear and
tear.Applies to vehicles: with R tronicSteering wheel with paddle leversThe paddle levers behind the steering wheel allow you to
change gear manually without taking your hands off the
steering wheel.– Briefly pull the left-hand paddle lever to change down
to a lower gear.
– Briefly pull the right-hand paddle lever to change up
to a higher gear.The manual shift programme can, of course, still be operated using
the selector lever in the centre console.
SPORT
Fig. 79 Sports steering
wheel with Paddle
leversA-A+
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Safe driving 104Correct sitting positionsCorrect sitting position for driver
The correct driving position is important for safe and
fatigue-free driving.For your own safety, and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend the following driving
position.
– Adjust the steering wheel so there is a distance of at least
25 cm between the steering wheel and your breastbone
⇒fig. 82.– Move the driver's seat forwards or backwards so that you
can press the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals all the
way to the floor with your knees slightly bent ⇒.
– Make sure that you can comfortably reach the top of the
steering wheel.
– Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the head
restraint is level with the top of your head ⇒fig. 83.
– Adjust the backrest to an upright position so that your
back remains in contact with the upholstery.
– Fasten your seat belt correctly ⇒page 109.
– Keep both feet in the footwell so that you are in full
control of the vehicle at all times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the driver's seat, see
⇒page 67, “Seats and storage”.
WARNING
An incorrect driver sitting position can result in serious personal
injury.•
Adjust the driver's seat so there is a distance of at least 25 cm
between your breastbone and the centre of the steering wheel
⇒fig. 82. The airbag system will not be able to protect you prop-
erly if you sit closer than 25 cm.
•
If physical limitations prevent you from maintaining the
minimum distance of 25 cm, please consult a qualified workshop.
The workshop will be able to tell you whether your vehicle can be
suitably modified.
•
While driving, always hold the steering wheel with both hands
on the outside of the rim at about the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi-
tion. This reduces the risk of injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
Fig. 82 Minimum
distance between
driver and steering
wheelFig. 83 Correct head
restraint position for
the driver
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Safe driving105
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data
•
Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, or
with your hands inside the rim or on the steering wheel hub. This
could result in serious injuries to the arms, hands and head if the
driver's airbag inflates.
•
To reduce any risk of injury to the driver during a sudden brake
application or in an accident, never drive with the backrest tilted
too far back. The airbag system and seat belts can only provide
proper protection when the backrest is in an upright position and
the driver is wearing the seat belt in the correct position. The
further the backrest is tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the belt webbing or an incorrect sitting
position.
•
Adjust the head restraint properly so that it can give maximum
protection.
Correct sitting position for front passenger
The front seat passenger must sit at least 25 cm away
from the dash panel so that the airbag has enough room
to inflate and give maximum protection in an accident.For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the
event of an accident, we recommend adjusting the front
passenger's seat as follows:
– Move the front passenger's seat as far back as possible
⇒.
– Adjust the backrest to an upright position so that your
back remains in contact with the upholstery.
– Adjust the head restraint so that the top of the head
restraint is level with the top of your head ⇒page 106.
– Keep both feet in the footwell in front of the seat.– Fasten your seat belt correctly ⇒page 112.
In exceptional cases you can disable the front passenger's airbag
⇒page 120.
For detailed information on how to adjust the front passenger's
seat, see ⇒page 67, “Seats and storage”.
WARNING
A passenger sitting out of position in the front seat can suffer
serious injuries.•
Adjust the front passenger's seat so there is a distance of at
least 25 cm between your breastbone and the dash panel. The
airbag system will not be able to protect you properly if you sit
closer than 25 cm.
•
If physical limitations prevent you from maintaining the
minimum distance of 25 cm, please consult a qualified workshop.
The workshop will be able to tell you whether your vehicle can be
suitably modified.
•
Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is moving;
never rest them on the instrument panel, out of the window or on
the seat. If you sit in an incorrect position, you increase your risk
of injury in the event of sudden braking or an accident. If the airbag
is triggered, you could sustain potentially fatal injuries by sitting
out of position.
•
To reduce the risk of injury to the front passenger in the case of
sudden braking or an accident, the passenger should never travel
in a moving vehicle with the backrest reclined. The airbag system
and seat belt can only provide proper protection when the back-
rest is in an upright position and the passenger is wearing the seat
belt in the correct position. The further the backrest is tilted back,
the greater the risk of injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt
webbing or an incorrect sitting position.
•
Always adjust the head restraints properly for maximum
protection.
WARNING (continued)
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Seat belts111
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data The physical principles involved in a frontal collision are relatively
simple:
Both the moving vehicle and the passengers possess energy, which
is known as “kinetic energy” ⇒page 110, fig. 87. The amount of
“kinetic energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight
of the vehicle and passengers. The higher the speed and the greater
the weight, the more energy there is to be absorbed in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If
the speed doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic
energy increases by a factor of four. Because these passengers are
not restrained by seat belts, the entire amount of kinetic energy has
to be absorbed at the point of impact ⇒fig. 88. This would result in
serious or potentially fatal injury.
Even at urban speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on the
occupants in a collision can reach the equivalent of 1 ton (1000 kg)
or more. At greater speed these forces are even higher. A rule of
thumb: if the speed doubles, the forces increase by a factor of four.
Passengers who do not wear seat belts are not “attached” to the
vehicle. In a frontal collision they will continue to move forward at
the speed their car was travelling just before the impact.
What happens to passengers not wearing seat belts?
Passengers not wearing seat belts risk fatal injuries in the
event of an accident.In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers will be thrown forwards
and make violent contact with the steering wheel, dashboard, wind-
screen, etc ⇒fig. 89. Passengers not wearing their belts risk being
thrown out of the car, resulting in potentially fatal injuries.
The common belief that occupants can brace their weight with their
hands in a minor collision is false. Even at low speeds the forces
acting on the body in a collision are so great that it is not possible
to hold yourself in the seat.
Fig. 88 The vehicle
crashes against the
wall
Fig. 89 A driver not
wearing a seat belt can
be thrown forwards
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Airbag system 116•
If you sell the vehicle, please remember to pass on the
complete Service Wallet to the new owner. If the front passenger's
airbag has been deactivated, it is important that the new owner is
also given the relevant documents.
•
The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
vehicle or components of the airbag or belt tensioner systems are
scrapped.
•
In an accident in which one or more airbags are triggered the
alternator and the starter are - for safety reasons - both discon-
nected from the battery via a pyrotechnic circuit breaker.
−Any repairs to the pyrotechnic circuit breaker must always
be performed by a qualified workshop (accident risk).
−The relevant safety requirements must be observed when
the vehicle or the circuit breaker are scrapped.
When are the airbags triggered?
The airbag system is triggered in collisions with a severe
impact.The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In severe side collisions the side airbags are triggered on the impact
side of the vehicle.
In certain types of accident the front airbags and the side airbags
may be triggered together.
The airbag system is not triggered in minor frontal or side collisions,
or in rear collisions or if the car overturns. In these situations the
occupants are protected by wearing the seat belts.
Factors determining the triggering response
It is not possible to define the exact triggering response of the
airbag system in all possible situations, since the circumstances in different types of accident will vary considerably. Important factors
include, for example, the nature (hard or soft) of the object which
the car hits, the angle of impact, vehicle speed and so on.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle
deceleration rate resulting from the collision. By processing the
signals from the sensors located in the vehicle, the electronic
control unit is immediately able to evaluate the severity of the colli-
sion and activate the restraint systems accordingly. If the decelera-
tion rate is below the predefined reference value in the control unit
the airbags will not be triggered, even though the accident may
cause extensive damage to the car.
Note
The airbag releases a fine dust when it inflates. This is quite normal
and does not mean there is a fire in the vehicle.Front airbagsDescription of front airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 95 Driver's airbag
in steering wheel
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Airbag system117
Controls
Safety
Driving tips
General maintenance
Self-help
Technical data The front airbag for the driver is located in the padded hub of the
steering wheel ⇒page 116, fig. 95. The front airbag for the front
passenger is in the dashboard above the glove box ⇒fig. 96. The
locations of the airbags are marked with the word “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the three-point seat belts, the front airbags give
additional head and chest protection for the driver and front
passenger in the event of a severe frontal collision ⇒ in “Impor-
tant safety notes on the front airbag system” on page 117.
How the front airbags work
When fully inflated, the airbags reduce the risk of head or
chest injury.
The airbag system is designed so that the airbags for the driver and
front passenger are triggered in a severe frontal collision.
In certain types of accident the front airbags and the side airbags
may be triggered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbags fill with a propellant gas
and open out in front of the driver and front passenger ⇒fig. 97. In
order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the
airbags have to inflate extremely rapidly (within fractions of a
second). The fully deployed airbags cushion the forwards move-
ment of the front occupants and help to reduce the risk of injury to
the head and the upper part of the body.
Special openings in the airbag allow the gas to escape at a
controlled rate to restrain the forward movement of the occupant's
head and torso. Once the impact has been absorbed, the airbag
deflates sufficiently for the front occupants to see forward.Important safety notes on the front airbag system
There are a number of safety points concerning the airbag
system which you should remember. This will help to
reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
Fig. 96 Front
passenger's airbag in
dashboardFig. 97 Front airbags
in inflated condition
Fig. 98 Minimum
distance from steering
wheel
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Airbag system 118
WARNING
•
It is important for the driver and front passenger to maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dashboard
⇒page 117, fig. 98. The airbag system will not be able to give the
required protection if you sit too close to the steering wheel or
dashboard. There is also a risk of injury if the airbags are inflated.
The front seats and head restraints must always be positioned
correctly for the height of the occupant.
•
If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward or to the side,
or are not seated correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are
at greater risk of injury. Should the airbag system be triggered in
an accident there is an even greater risk of injury.
•
Never let a child travel on the front seat without an appropriate
restraint system. If the airbag is triggered in an accident, the child
could sustain serious or fatal injuries ⇒page 122, “Child safety”.
•
Never install a rearward-facing child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat unless the front passenger's airbag has been
deactivated. However, if you have no alternative but to use a rear-
ward-facing child seat on the front passenger's seat, the front
passenger's airbag must be deactivated beforehand by means of
the key-operated switch ⇒page 120, “Deactivating the airbags”.
Failure to observe this precaution could result in serious or poten-
tially fatal injury.
•
Occupants sitting in the front of the car must never carry any
objects or pets in the space between them and the airbags, or
allow children or other passengers to travel in this position.
•
Do not cover or stick anything on the steering wheel hub or the
soft plastic surface of the airbag unit on the passenger's side of
the dashboard, and do not obstruct or modify them in any way.
These parts should only be cleaned with a dry cloth (or with a
cloth moistened with plain water). It is also important not to
attach any objects such as cup holders or telephone mountings to
the surfaces covering the airbag units.
•
Any work on the airbag system or removal and installation of
the airbag components for other repairs (such as repairs to the
steering wheel) should be performed by a qualified workshop.Note
If necessary, you can deactivate the front passenger's airbag by
means of the key-operated switch ⇒page 120, “Deactivating the
airbags”.Side airbagsDescription of side airbags
The airbag system is not a substitute for the seat belts.The side airbags are located in the backrest padding of the front
seats ⇒fig. 99. The locations of the airbags are marked with the
word “AIRBAG”.
In conjunction with the three-point seat belts, the side airbags give
the occupants additional protection for the whole upper part of the
body (i.e. the chest, stomach and pelvis) in the event of a severe side
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 99 Location of
side airbag in driver's
seat
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