2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER manual transmission

2 Table of contents Vehicle literature ............. .
About this Owner's Manual ...
Controls and equipment .. ... .
Cockpit ................... ... . .
General illustrat ion .............. .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ............... .
Instruments . .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Warning/indicator lights ... .. ... .. .
Driver information system .. .
Introduction . .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Service interval disp lay ........ .. . .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) .. .
Trip computer ................... .
Menu display ................... .
Lap timer .. .................. .. .
Speed warning system .......... .. .
5
6
8
8
8
10
10
14
20
20
21
21
22
24
26
28
Warnings and symbols . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Opening and closing ......... .
Keys .. ........................ .
Pow er locking system ............ .
Front lid ... ................ ... . .
Anti -theft alarm system ... .. .. ... .
Power windows .......... .. .. ... .
Convertible top .............. .
Convertible top ........ .. .. .. ... .
Wind deflector ......... .. .. .. ... .
Rear window .................... .
Convertible top emergency operation .
Clear vision .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Lights ... ................. .. ... .
Inter ior lights ................... .
V1s1on .... ................... .. .
Wiper and washer system ...... .. . .
Mir rors .. .. ... .. ..... ......... . .
Digital compass ................. .
Seats and storage ..... .. .. .. . .
37
37
39
42
43
44
46
46
48
48
49
55
55
58
59
59
62
64
66
General recomme ndation s . . . . . . . . . 66
Po wer seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Cup
holder .... .. ... .......... .. .
Ashtray ... .... .. .. ........... .. .
Cigarette lighter/socket ........... .
68
69
69
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
Warm and cold .. ........... .. .
Climate controls .. ............... .
Rear window defogger ............ .
Heated seats .... ............... .
On the road ... .............. . .
Steering ....................... .
Ig nition lock and ign ition sw itch .... .
Starting the engine .............. .
Stopping the engine .... .... .... . .
Parking brake ................... .
Crui se control ................. .. .
Audi magnet ic rid e . ............ .. .
Manual transmission ........ .
Launch Control Prog ram ...... .. .. .
Automated manual
transmission ................. .
Description .... .. .. ........... .. .
Manual operation ... ........... .. .
Automatic operation ........... .. .
K ick-down ..... ............... .. .
La un ch Control Program .......... .
Steering wheel with sh ift paddles ... .
Parking system ............. .. .
Parking system advanced ......... .
Homelink® ................... .
72
72
76
76
77
77
77
78
79
79
81
82
84
84
85
85
86
87
87 87
87
89
89
95
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Proper occupant seating positions . . .
100
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 103
Stowing luggage ................. 104
Reporting Safety Defects. . . . . . . . . . . 105
Active rollover protection system . . . . 107

~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec· tive .
If a defective bulb has been detected by the
system or a light bulb burns out, the
II sym ­
bol with a message appears in the display to
tell you wh ich bu lb is bur nt out and where it is
located. For example:
R ea r left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears . If
you want to recall the message into the dis­ play, press the CHECK button
c::> page 10,
fig . 3 @ .
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appea r in the display:
- The light bulb has burnt out
c=> poge 224 .
- The fuse is "blown"¢ page 223, Replacing
fuses.
- T he w ire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective .
H ave the bulb rep laced or the connection re·
pa ired by you r authorized Aud i Servi ce depart­
ment.
A WARNING
- Light bu lbs are pressurized and co uld ex­
plode while they are being changed caus ­
ing serious persona l injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps . Failing to do so co uld re­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT t<®> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fa il·
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
K@ )] (Canada models) can appear . The follow­
i ng e lectr ica l components should be checked,
repaired or replaced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All w iring connections
- Brake light switch
Dr iver in formati on sys tem 35
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for assis­
tance if necessary.
(0 Tips
The brake light sw itch is on ly inspected as
part of the functional chec k afte r the en­
gine is started .
fi.D Light/rain sensor defective
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem.
If the symbol ftl illum inates, the light sensor
has failed. Fo r safety reasons, the low beams
are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. However, yo u can cont inue to turn the
li ghts on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still availab le .
Have the light/ rain senso r checked as soon as
poss ib le at an autho rized Aud i dea ler.
1" IF{ Selector lever defective
Applies to vehic les : wi th R tronic
D 1;j Sele ctor l ever defectiv e! No rev ers e
ge ar!
If the symbols are il lum ina ted, the re is a mal·
funct io n in the R tronic selector lever. These·
l ector lever d isp lays go out o r flash.
It is not
poss ible to engage reverse gear . If you have
been shifting the transm iss ion manually, it
switches to a utomatic operation .
You can continue to shift the transm iss ion
manua lly. From the neu tral pos ition N, en­
gage first gea r by tapping the shift button
0
on the steering wheel. Then the transmission
rema ins in manual ope ration and you can se­
lect the gears using the sh ift b uttons.
Have the se lector lever checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Audi dea ler or other
qualified workshop.

Opening the con vertibl e top stor age bay
lid
• From the rear of the vehicle, reach into the
center ventilation slot in the storage bay lid
with both hands and raise the lid approxi­
mately 12 in (30 cm).
"' Hold the storage bay lid in this pos ition and
pull it toward you until it stops ¢
fig. 51.
& WARNING
When wo rking in the engine compart­
ment:
- Turn the engine off .
- Act ivate the parking brake.
-
- In veh icles with a manual transm ission,
move the sh ifter lever into idle . In vehi-
cles w ith the R tronic transmission, move
the se lector lever into the N position.
- Remove the ignit ion key.
- Let the engine coo l down.
- Keep children away from the engine com-
partment .
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only
open the convertible top storage bay lid
when the engine compartment lid is
closed.
Step 4: Remove the covers
F ig. 52 Convertib le to p: covers marked
Convert ible top 5 1
Fig. 53 Convert ible top storage bay lid: remov ing the
cover
The following steps must be performed on
both sides of the vehicle .
"' Remove the bolt in the cover on the bo ttom
side of the s torage bay lid using the o pen
end wrench from the vehicle too l kit @
¢fig. 53.
"'Move the cover up and down carefully until
it can be pulled downward from the teeth
@ .
Step 5:
Lift the convertible top out
Fi g. 54 Co nve rtible top storage bay: lifting the conver ­
tible top out
F ig. 55 W indshield frame: pressing the conver tible top
forward
"' Ho ld the convertib le top at the @ poin t (ar -
row)
¢ fig. 54 and raise it carefully ¢_& . II--

Cruise control
Introduction
The cruise control system keeps the speed
constant .
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed over 20 mph (US
model) or 30 km/h (Canadian model). This is
true only to the extent that engine power or
engine braking effect allow . Using the system
takes the strain off the "gas peda l foot" -es­
pec ial ly on long tr ips.
In the control mode, the indicator light in the
instrument cluster is lit
(Dj;(i )~i~ (US model) ,111
(Canadian model).
The cruise control system automatically
switches itself off imm ed iately under the fol­
lowing cond itions:
- Pressing the brake pedal.
- Pressing the clutch pedal.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control system is switched on.
You are always responsible for your
speed and the distance between your ve­ hicle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control sys­ tem shou ld not be used in the city, in
stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads
and when road conditions are poo r (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident.
- Turn off the cr uise control system tem­
porarily when entering turn lanes, high­
way exit lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "rest ing"
your foot on the accelerator peda l causes
the cruise control system not to brake .
This is because the cruise contro l system
is overridden by the driver's acceleration.
(D Note
On manual transmission vehicles: If you
shift into neutral with the cruise contro l
On th e road 81
system switched on, always depress the
clutch pedal! Otherwise the engine will
race and could be damaged as a result .
(D Tips
When driving on steep downward grades,
the cruise control system cannot keep the
speed constant. The vehicle's own weight
increases the speed. Shift into a lower gear
i n plenty of t ime or brake the vehicle with
the foot brake .
Saving the speed
The desired speed must be saved.
Fig. 87 C ruise control system controls
.,. Dr ive at the speed you w ish to set.
.,. Pull the lever to position
(D c:> fig. 87 to
sw itch the system on.
.,. Briefly press button @.
After the button @is released, the current ve­
hicle speed is sto red and maintai ned, i.e. you
are driv ing in control mode.
Changing speed
The desired speed can be changed.
Fas ter
.,. Press lever up towards the 0 c:> page 81,
fig. 87.
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed .
Slower
.. Press lever down towards the O c:> page 81,
fig. 87.
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed. IJJl-

84 Manual transmission
Manual transmission
Launch Control
Program
Applies to vehicles: with VlO engi ne and manua l trans­
mission
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration.
Requirement : The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
• With the engine runn ing, press the
[!I but­
ton one time. The ESP indicator light
fi in
the Driver Information System display illu­
minates and the message
ESP sport· Warn­
ing! Restricted stability
appears.
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator peda l all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at
6500 RPM.
• Release the clutch carefully~.&_ .
.&_ WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and
traffic conditions a llow it and other driv­
ers wi ll not be endangered or annoyed by
your driv ing and the vehicle's accelera­
tion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESP is sw itched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESP back on by pressing the
l:m
button.
(D Tips
- When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
i ncreased wear.
- The Launch Control Program only func­
tions when the parking brake is released and
the vehicle speed is less than 3 mph
(5 km/h).

Automated manual transmission
Description
App lies to vehicles: with R tro nic
Fig . 89 S hift pattern
F ig. 90 Display : Gear s engaged
R tronic is an au tomated manua l transm iss ion
in which the function of the cl utch and shift­
ing is controlled by an electronic system.
The gears are engaged manua lly, sim ilarly to
a manual transmission. The gears ca n also be
shifted automatica lly. The engine can be
started and switched off in all gears .
The selected mode of operation, the gear en­ gaged and the spor t funct ion are shown in the
Driver Information Sys tem display ¢
fig. 90.
M · Manual operation
In th is operating mode, you shift the forward
gears us ing the selecto r lever
¢ page 86 or
the shift paddles on the multifunction steer­ i ng whee l
¢page 87.
A - Automati c operation
In th is operating mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load
and vehicle speed ¢
page 87.
Autom ated manual tr an sm iss ion 85
R -Rever se g ear
Reve rse gear m ust only be engaged when the
vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running
at id le speed
~ ,1. .
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selec to r lever to the
right and tip it towards R. In reverse gear, the
back up lights ill uminate when the ignition is
on .
N -Neutral
To engage neu tral, yo u have to move these­
lector lever to the left or to the right .
If re­
verse gear is engaged, move the selector lever
to the left . If a forward gear is engaged , move
the selector lever to the right.
Sport function
T he sport function is sw itched on by pressing
the
I SPORT I b utton. The engine's power re­
serves can be used fully by upshifts later. Shift
t ime is decreased and acce lerator pedal re­
sponse is improved . In addition, in manua l op­
eration the eng ine does
not sh ift a utomat ical­
ly into the next gear before it has reached the
maximum perm iss ible engine speed . In auto ­
matic operat io n, upsh ifting cont inues auto­
matically .
_&. WARNING
- If a gear is engaged when the veh icle is
stat ionary, the accelera to r must not be
pressed inadvertent ly under any circum ­
stances . Otherwise the vehicle wi ll im­
mediately start to move· sometimes
even if the park ing brake is firmly ap­
plied.
- Before you or other persons open the en ­
gine compartment lid and work on a run­ ning engine, select neutral pos ition N
a nd firmly app ly the handbrake . Follow
the warning notes.
(!} Tips
If you accidenta lly shifted into N w hile
driving, you can engage a gear in the nor­ mal way us ing the selecto r lever.

Checking and filling Engine compartment
lid
Relea sing the engine compartment lid
The engi ne compartment lid is released from
inside the vehicle.
F ig . 139 Dr ive r's side: releasing the engine compart­
ment lid
Requi rement: The ignition must be switched
on.
• Make sure the rear spoiler is retracted
9page 152.
• Pull the@ button. The engine compart­
ment lid opens slightly.
• Open the engine compartment lid
9 .&,.
_& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To redu ce the r isk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment . Wait un­
ti l no steam or coolant can be seen or
heard before carefully opening the en­
gine compartment lid .
(D Note
To prevent damage to t he vehicle, only
open the engine compartment lid when
the convertib le top storage bay lid is
closed.
Checkin g and fillin g 175
@ Tips
An emergency release can be used if the
engine compartment lid cannot be re- l eased with the button @
i:> page 177.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling the d ifferent flu ids, there is a risk
of in jury, burns and accidents . To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS . The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area'
i:> A .
_& WARNING ,.;;
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the engine compa rtment lid:
- Sw itch off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); p ut manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coo lant escaping
from the eng ine compartment. Wa it un­
til no steam or coolant can be seen or
hea rd before carefully opening the en­
gine compa rtment lid.
- Keep ch ild ren away from the engine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids o n hot engine compo­
nents. T hey can cause a fi re .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant cou ld spray o ut.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot e ngine coolant by plac ing a ""

176 Checking and filling
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
-If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­ partment could start a fire .
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im ­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury 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 R tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get ­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will
hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
.&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­ cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
reproduc­
tive 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 dam­
age 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 flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine compartment lid
... Make sure that the rear spoiler is retracted
~page 152.
""Pull the engine compartment lid down until
the pressure from the struts is reduced.
.., Press the engine compartment lid closed
c::>& .
A WARNING ,_
A engine compartment lid that is not com­
pletely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
- When you close the engine compartment lid, check it to make sure the safety catch
has properly engaged . The engine com­
partment lid should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driving that the en ­
gine compartment lid is not secured properly, stop at once and close it.