
16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal
function in the engine electron ics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos
sible by your authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop .
"' Convertible top operation
The indicato r light turns on IJI
- When the convertible top opens or closes or
- If the convertible top d id not open or close
completely.
The indicator light blinks if the convertible top
cannot open or close¢
page 47.
n If; Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
If the indicator lamp Gl blinks while dr iv ing,
the ESP or ASR (Ant i-Slip Regulation) is active
l y regulating.
If the indicator lamp
Gl illuminates, the sys
tem has sw itched the ESP off . In this case , you
can switch the ignition off and then on to
switch the ESP on again . The system is func
tioning comp letely when the indicator lamp
switches off .
If the indicator lamp
I] illuminates , the ESP
was sw itc hed off with the
lliJ button.
E S P and A BS: fa u lt ! See owner's manu al
If the indicator lamp Gl and the ABS indicator
lamp
!I] illuminate and the driver message
appears, the ABS or electronic differential lock is malfunctioning . This also interrupts the
ESP . The brakes st ill function with the ir nor
mal power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to your authorized Aud i R8 dealer imme
d iately to have the malfunction corrected.
For more information about the ESP
¢page 150.
~D High beam
The . war ning/ indicato r light illum inates
whe n the high beams are on or when you use
the headlight flasher.
For more information ¢
page 58.
":::>'• Rear spoiler
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electrically retractable rear spoiler .
The warning/indicator lig ht (11 has the follow
ing functions :
- It comes on for about 3 seconds as a func
tion check when the ign ition is switched on.
- It comes on if there is a malfunction in the
electrically retractab le rear spoi ler.
Additional information about the e lectrica lly
retractable rear spoiler¢
page 152 .
& WARNING
=
Driving at higher speeds witho ut the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- If the rear spo iler warning/ind icator light
in the instrument cluster comes on, the
rear spo iler may not have dep loyed. Nev
e r drive at speeds h igher than 87 mph
(140 km/h) if the spo iler is not deployed .
H ave the spoiler inspected as soon as
possible by an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or
qualified wor kshop.
¢ ¢Turn signals
Whenever yo u use the left II or the right R
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flasher, both indicator
li ghts f lash.
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor
mal.
Addi tional in formation on the turn s ignals
¢ page 58.

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 17
CRUISE /vJ' Cru ise control
The warning/indicator light (ij ;jl)~1~ (USA mod
e ls)/ . (Canasda models) illum inates when
the cruise cont rol is activated.
I I ! .!r Safety systems
This warning/indicator light monitors the air
bag and the pretensioner systems.
The warning light I (USA models) ;II (Cana
da models) illuminates for a few seco nds eac h
time you switch on the ignition.
If the
I (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
warn ing light does not go out, or if it illumi
nates wh ile you are driv ing, or if it starts to
b link, then there is a ma lf u nction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not ill uminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag sys
tem, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherw ise the airbag or the
belt pretensioner may not work proper ly in
an acc ident.
D Generator
This warning/indicator light detects a mal
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator lig ht illuminates
when you switc h on t he ignit ion and must go
out after the engine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light i lluminates
while you are driving, you should contact your author ized Audi dealer. Since the vehicle bat
tery is discharging, you should switch off any
u nnecessary electrical consumers (for exam
p le, the air conditioner).
Q) Note
If the . warn ing/ indicator light (mal
function in the engine cooling system) in
the instrument cluste r shou ld i llum inate ¢
page 32, stop the veh
icle and t urn off
the engine. The coolant pump is not work i ng -this can cause engine damage!
4 Safety belt warning light
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts.
T he warning light . comes on fo r a few sec
onds after the ignition is switched on as a re
minder to fasten yo ur safety be lt. Additional
l y, an acoustic warning (gong) will a lso sound.
Addi tional in format ion on safety belts
¢ page 109 .
BRAKE/((D) Brake system
This warning/indicator light flashes when the
broke fluid level is too low or when there is a
malfunction in the ABS .
If the wa rning/ind icator light flas hes 111111111;
• (with the parking brake re leased), stop the
vehicle and obtain qualified help¢&, .
If the ABS fails, the ABS wa rn ing/ indicator
l igh t
r.m!J,11] illumina tes along w ith the
brake sys tem warning/ ind icator light- /
. ¢&, .
(USA mode ls): If the war ning light - and
the warn ing light
Lil ill umin ate together, im
med iate ly contact yo ur a uthorized Aud i dea le r
or qualified workshop to have all brake pads inspected ¢
page 33.
When the light comes on, an aud ible warning
s ignal is also g iven.
Parking brake set
The _ /. warning/ind icator light illumi
nates when the parking brake is set¢&, . The
fo llow ing message appears in the d isplay:
Handbrake i s app lie d . If yo u inadvertent ly
drive off with the parking brake applied, a
buzzer (warning tone) sounds.

18 Instrument s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
&_ WARNING
-USA models: If both, t he - warning
light a nd
th em war ning light com e
o n at the same t ime, the rear whe els
c ou ld lock up first under hard braking .
Lock-up of the rear whee l brakes can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immedi
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion.
- Canada models: If both, the brake warn
ing light . and the ABS warning light
ti] come on at the same time, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard
braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident . Have you r vehicle repaired im
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a q ualified wor kshop . D rive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion
- If the brake warning/indicator ligh t does
not go o ut after a few seconds and the
par king brake re leased, or lights up while
yo u are d riving, the fluid level in the
brake fl uid reservoir is too low . If you be
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im
med iately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work
shop and have the brake system inspect
ed .
- Please be very carefu l and always keep in
mind that after seve ral brake applica
t ions, yo u will need g reater pressure on
the brake pedal to stop you r vehicle.
C onsequently, you must allow for in
creased braking d istances. Trying to
brake as quickly as usual could lead to an
acc ident.
ABS/( @) Anti-Lock Brake System
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differ ential lock (EDL).
The m light w ill come on fo r a few seconds
when the igni tion is sw itched on . The light will go out after an automatic check sequence
is comp leted .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warn ing/indica to r li gh t does no t illum i
nate when you sw itch o n the ign ition.
- The warning/ indicato r light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/ indicator light illum inates
while d rivi ng.
The brake system will still respo nd even with
out the assistance of the ABS system. See
your autho rized Aud i dea le r as soon as possi
ble to restore full braking performance . Fo r
more inform ation regard ing the ABS
r::?v page 150 .
The ABS war ning light and the brake warning
li ght come on together. The A BS will not work
and yo u will no tice a change in brak ing re
sponse and perfo rmance .
Malfunction in the brake system
USA models: If both, the -warning light
and
the m warn ing light come on
r::?v page 32 whe n the par king b rake is re
l eased , there may be a ma lf u nct ion in the
ABS, and there may a lso be a malf unct ion in
t h e brake system itse lf
r::?v &. .
Canada models: If bo th, the brake warn ing
li gh t. and the ABS wa rning light
£1 come
on
r::?v page 32 when the parking brake is re
leased , there may be a malf unct ion in the
ABS, and there may also b e a malfunction in
the brake system itself ¢ &. .
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lo ck (EDL)
The two systems EDL and ABS work together.
The m warning light will come on if there is
a malfunction in the EDL system
r::?v page 150.
See your au thor ized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible .
&_ WARNING
-If the m warning light does not go
out, or if it comes on wh ile driving, the
ABS system is not working properly. The

vehicle can then be stopped only with
the brakes operating without ABS support. You will not have the protection
ABS provides . Contact your authorized
Audi dealer as soon as poss ible.
In strument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 19
-USA models: If both, the~ warning
light and the
B warning light come
on at the same t ime, the rear wheels
cou ld lock up first under hard braking.
Lock-up of the rear whee l bra kes can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immed i
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion.
- Canada models: If both, the brake warn
ing light . and the ABS warning light
Ii] come on at the same t ime, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident. Have your vehicle repaired im
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
o r a q ual ified wor kshop . D rive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ion .

22 Driver in formation system
On-Board Diagnostics monito rs the compo
nents of your emiss ion control system . Each
mon itored component in your eng ine system
has been assigned a code. In case of a mal
f unction, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the control module memory .
In order to make an accurate d iagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed us ing spe
cial diagnostic equipment (gener ic scan tool
for OBD) .
In order to connect the special diagnostic
equ ipment, push the plug into the Data L ink
Connector (D LC). The DLC is located to the
right of the engine compartment lid release
c::,;, fig. 10 .
Your author ized Audi dealer or a qualified
service station can interpret the code a nd per
form the necessary repa ir .
S?. Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (M IL) 1\1 is
pa rt of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) sys
tem.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the eng ine e lectronic system.
A ma lf u nction may have var ious causes:
- The fue l filler cap may be imp roperly closed
c::,;, page 172.
-There is a leak in the fuel vapor recovery sys
tem .
- The eng ine control receives faulty vehicle
roadspeed signals .
Contact your nearest authorized A udi dealer
for assistance.
If the lig ht ill uminates, the catalyt ic converter
could be damaged. Continue driving
with re
duced power
(avo iding s usta ined high speeds
and/or rapid accelerat ions) and have the con
d it ion corrected.
An improperly closed f ue l fi ller cap may also
cause the M IL light to illum inate ¢
page 172.
Trip computer
Introduction
The trip computer gives you information on
current and average fuel mileage, average
speed, fuel range and driving time .
Fig . 1 1 Trip computer 1
You can swi tch between the trip compu ter 1
and 2 by pressing the
! RESE T I button @
c:>page 23, fig. 12.
You can te ll wh ich memory leve l is currently
active by the number in the d isp lay
c:> fig. 11.
The data from the single -trip memory (memo
ry level 1) is be ing d isplayed if a 1 appears in
the d isp lay. If a 2 is shown, then the data
from the total-trip memory is being displayed (memory level 2).
Single -trip memory (Trip compute r 1)
T he sing le -trip memory stores t he trip infor
mation from the time the ig nition is turned on
u nt il it is turned off.
If the t rip is cont inued
within 2 hours from the time the ignition was
turned off, the new data will be included in
the calculat io n of the current tr ip informa
t io n. If the trip is interrupted fo r
more than 2
hours
the memo ry is reset automatically .
Total-trip memory (Trip computer 2)
Unlike the single-trip memory, the total-trip
memory is not reset automat ically . This per
mits you to evaluate your driv ing data for the
entire per iod between ma nual resets.
Fuel range
The estimated cruising range in miles (km)
appears in the display . The d isplay changes in
increments of 6 m iles (10 km) . ..,.

24 Driver information system
Menu display
Introduction
.____ __ ®
Fig. 13 Wiper lever: Controls for the men u disp lay
. Displa Type
~Set
!: Cfiecl< --,
Menu off
Fig. 14 Display: Start me nu
Some functions in your vehicle can be set, ac
tivated, and controlled by
Menus (e.g. Acous
tic park assist*). With these menus you can al
so select the information shown in the Driver
Information System, which operates only with
the ign ition switched on . Operation is control
led by the
I RESET ! button and the rocker
switch on the wiper lever¢ fig. 13.
The
Start menu shows you the different dis
play types:
Set
Check
Menu off
Each display type in the Start menu contains a
submenu with additiona l opt ions .
Set Clock
¢page25
Computer
¢page25
Speed warning
¢ page29
Language
¢page25
Units (distance, fuel consump
tion, temperature)
¢page25
Displays
Lights
¢ page55
Wipers (service position)
¢page 61
Doors (unlocking and locking
mode)
¢page39
Parking aid*
¢page89
Check Service
Chassis number
r::;, page 226
Keys
Menu off The menu display is hidden and
the lap timer appears.

•
Canada models:
Speed warning 1
¢page34
•
USA mode ls:
Speed warning 2
¢page 34
•
Canada model s:
Speed warning 2
¢page34
RI
S ignificant loss of a ir pressure
¢page34
lliliE Tire pressure monitoring sys-
tern malfunction
¢page34
a
Windshield washer f luid level
low
¢page34
-
II Battery voltage too high or too
low
,. ¢page 34
~:~
Defective light bulb
¢page 35
•
lrusA models:
Defective brake light
9page35
•
Canada model s:
Defective brake light
c!>page35
m
Light/rain sensor (automatic
headlights) defective
¢page35
ll 11il Selector lever defective*
No reverse gear *
¢page 35
min Clutch is overheating*
¢page36
D
Gearbox ma lf u nction*
¢page 36
(a
II Engine speed limitation
ll¢page36
W hen a yellow symbo l appea rs, a wa rning
tone will sound
once. Check the disp layed
function as soon as possib le . If
more than one
Dr iver in formation system 31
malfunction is detected, all symbo ls wi ll ap
pear one after the other for about two sec
onds .
Driver information
In addition to the warning/indicator lights
and the symbols in the instrument cluster dis
play, driver information is displayed.
Fig. 2 8 Section of instrument cluster: Set/C heck but·
ton
Driver in format io n ap pears in the d is p lay
when a defective light bulb is reported by the
defective light bu lb warning ¢
page 35 ,
when the brake pads are worn and before you
engage a gear on vehicles with R tronic .
In addition, driver information may appear
when a red symbo l flashes in the driver dis
play.
To d isplay Driver information
As an examp le, the . symbo l appears in the
display. If you now press the button¢
fig. 28,
the following driver message appears in the
display:
Switch off engine and check oil le vel
T he dr iver message in the display goes out af
ter abo ut 5 seconds. Yo u can disp lay t he driver
message aga in by briefly pressing the button.

32 Driver in formation system
BRAKE/((D) Brake system malfunction
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid
level is too low, if there is a malfunction in the ABS system or when the parking brake is
engaged.
If the alllill. symbol flashes in the dis
play with the parking brake released, there is
a malfunction in the brake system. In addit io n
to the symbo l, one of two messages appears
i n t he displ ay:
Stop veh icle and check brak e fluid
ABS f ault! See owner 's manual
• Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
• Obtain professiona l assistance .
USA models: if the re is a malfunction in the
A BS system,
the m warning/indicator light
i l luminates a long w ith the - system
mal function warn ing/ indicator light ¢&. .
Canada models: if there is a ma lf u nction in
the ABS system, the
li] warning/indicator
light ill uminates toget her with th e . brake
system ma lf u nction warning/indicator light
¢ &_ .
Parking brak e set
The parking brake warni ng light _ /_
(Canada models) ill uminates when the park
ing brake is set . In additio n, a warning tone
will sound after you have dr iven for longer
than 3 seconds and faster than 3 mph (5 km/
h).
A WARNING
- Always observe the wa rnings i n
¢ page 175, Working in the engine
compartm ent,
before opening the en
gine compa rtme nt lid and che ck ing the
brake f luid.
- Driv ing with low b rake fluid is a safety
h aza rd! S top the c ar and get profession al
assist ance.
- If the bra ke system war ning/ indicato r
ligh t illumina tes toge ther wi th the ABS
wa rning/in dicator ligh t, then the AB S system is malfunctioning
. The rear
wheels could quick ly loc k up when you
apply the brakes. This could lead to loss
of co ntrol and yo ur vehicle could slide!
Drive ca refully to the nea rest au thorized
Aud i dea le r and hav e the malfunction
corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
When the. symbol in the display flashes,
then either the engine coo lant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low. In ad
dition to the symbo l, the following message
also appears in the d isp lay:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
• Pull off the road and stop the veh icle.
• Turnoff the engine.
• Check coolant level ¢
page 182 .
• Add coo lant if necessary ¢ page 183.
• Cont inue dr iv ing o nly afte r the engine cool
ant wa rning/ind icator light goes out .
• Con ta ct your au thori zed Aud i dealer for as-
sis tan ce if ne cess ary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, t hen the
r adiator fa n may be the ca use of the malfunc
t io n.
If the generator warn ing/ indicato r light
shou ld also illum inate
¢ page 17, then the
fan belt may be damaged.
A WARNING
- If you r vehicle should bre ak down for
me chanical or o ther reasons, par k at a
safe distance from mov ing traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and tu rn on the hazard
warn ing lights ¢
page 57, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the eng ine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam or coolant es
caping from t he engine compartment -
-
you risk being scalded. Wait until you can .,,.