2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER wheel

52 Convertible top
• Pull the convertible top all the way out in
the direction indicated @. Position the fins
upward at the same time.
• Press the convert ible top as far forward to­
ward the windshield frame as possible
c>fig . 55.
Have a second person assist when positioning
the convertible top. That person should stand
on the oppos ite side of the veh icle and per­
form the same steps.
A WARNING
-When positioning the conve rtible top,
avoid contact with the supports or other
moving parts. Otherw ise you could pinch
yo ur hands.
- When pressing the convert ible top down
onto the windshield frame, make sure
that you do not pinch yourself or anyone
else.
Step 6: Secure the convertible top
-
Fig. 56 Co nve rtible top storage bay: install ing the driv ­
e r
Fig. 57 Securing the conve rt ible top
The convertible top must be under tension to
secure it to the windshield frame . The wheel
wrench, dr iver and bolts from the vehicle tool
kit are required for this. Have a second person assist with this step
.
Tha t person should stand on the opposite side
of the vehicle and perform the same steps.
• Posit ion the driver @ on the bolt @ in the
front section of the convert ible top storage
bay and rotate clockwise to install in the
threads
c> fig. 56.
• Posit ion the wheel wrench © with the long
end on the driver @.
• Press the convertible top as far forward as
possible toward the windsh ield frame @
with one hand
c> fig. 57 . At the same time,
pull the fins upward @ for support with the
other hand.
• Now, grasp the fins with the hand that you
used to move the convertib le top forward
and hold the fins in this position . With the
other hand, turn the wheel wrench upward
until it stops @.
(0 Tips
-When pressing the convertible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated in the latch on the windshield
frame and not on the frame itself.
- When pressing the convert ible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated exactly in the latch on the wind­
shield frame and not on the frame itself
This is the only way that the convertib le
top can be latched correctly .

Step 7: Lock the convertible top

Fig. 58 Inner s ide of the conve rtible top: remov ing the
cap
Fig. 59 Inner s ide of the co nvertible top : pos ition ing
the Allen wrench
.. Remove the cap in the center of the conver­
tib le top using the screwdriver from the ve ­
hicle tool kit¢
fig. 58. The emergency lock­
ing mechanism is located behind it.
.. Insert the Allen wrench
(D and turn the bolt
to the left@ until it is tight and the conver­
t ibl e top is locked securely ¢
fig. 59.
.,. Remove the Allen w rench from the open ing
and cover the opening with the cap.
.,. Remove the wheel wrench from the conver­
tible top storage bay .
.. Close the convertible top storage bay lid.
A WARNING
Make sure the convert ible top is locked
correctly. Otherwise the wind from driving
could cause the convertible top to open.
This can result in injuries and damage to
the vehicle.
-
Convertible top 53
Step 8 : Secure the fins on the body
Fig . 60 Co nvert ible top: pressing t he fins downward
Fig. 61 Interior: t ighten ing the bolt
The following steps must be performed on
both sides of the vehicle .
.. Press the fin downward firmly
¢fig . 60.
.. Ho ld the fin in this position and tighten the
bolt above the seat belt -arrow-using the
Allen wrench from the veh icle tool k it at the
same time¢
fig. 61.
A second person should assist when securing
the fins to the body. Tightening the bolts is
much easier if a second person presses the
fins down.
A WARNING
-Make sure the fins lie on the body . Other-
wise the convert ible top will not lock se­
cure ly and it could open while dr iving. This
can resul t in injuries and damage to the
vehicle.
-

56 Clear vision
shown as active in the driver information
system.
The
coming home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when the ignition is
switched off and the driver's door is opened.
The length of time the lights remain on can be
set in the menu display
(Lights> Exterior
lights> coming home) .
The leaving home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when unlocking it.
.&_ WARNING
- Never use daytime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright enough and will not let you see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Be aware of
changes in outside light conditions when
you are driving and respond by switching
on your low beams.
- Automatic head- and taillight control is
only intended to assist the driver. This
feature does not relieve the driver of his
responsibility to check the headlights
and to turn them on manually according
to the current light and visibility condi­
tions. For example, fog and rain cannot be detected by the light sensors. Conse­
quently, always switch the headlights on
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists.
-Always turn on the headlights so that you can see ahead and so that others can see your car from the back.
(D Tips
- Always observe the specific local regula­
tions for your area when to use your
lights .
- Turn on low beams as evening ap­
proaches or in conditions of poor visibili­
ty.
- Do not attach stickers to the windshield
in front of the sensors as this can disable the automatic head- and
taillight control
and the automatic glare-dimming of the
rearview mirror(s)*.
- If you
remove the ignition from the igni­
tion lock while the headlights are still
on, a buzzer will sound as long as the
driver's door is open to remind you to
turn off the lights.
- In the AUTO mode, the low beams are
turned off when the ignition is turned
off. The remaining lights are turned off
when the key is taken out of the ignition .
- In cool or damp weather conditions the
headlights may fog
over temporarily on
the inside.
- The critical factor is the temperature
difference between the interior and the
exterior of the headlight lens.
- With the main beams switched on, the
light-emitting area will be free of con­
densation after a short time, however
the edges of the glass may still be fog­
ged.
- This physical phenomenon has no ef­
fect on the life of your vehicle's light­
ing system.
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted.
Fig. 64 Instrument panel illumination
You regulate the brightness of the instru­
ments with the left thumbwheel
(-'1· ~ fig. 64.
A phototransistor integrated into the instru­
ment cluster controls the illumination of the
needles in it. When the lights are switched on,
the lighting for the center console and the
llll>

58 Clear vis ion
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever is used to operate the turn signals
and the high beam as well as the headlight
flasher .
Fig. 66 Turn s igna l and high beam lever
The turn s ignal and high beam leve r has the
following functions:
Turn signals ¢ c::>
"" Lift the lever up all the way¢ fig. 66 to use
the right turn signals @, or push the lever
down all the way to use the left turn signals
@ .
""Move the lever (up or down) just to the point
of resistance to use the turn signals for as
l ong as you need them, for example when
changing lanes.
"" Briefly move the lever up or down just to the
po int of resistance and then release it to
flash the turn signals
three times in succes­
sion.
T his Convenience turn signal function
must be activated in the menu display
¢ page 24.
High beam [D
"" Push the lever forward @ to switch on the
high beam.
"" Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam.
Headlight flasher [D
"" Pull the lever toward the steering wheel @
to use the headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
- The turn signals only work with the ignition
switched on. The indicator lights
II or II in
t he instrument cluster¢
page 14 also blink. - After you have turned a corner, the turn sig­
na l switches off automatically .
- The
high beam works only when the head­
lights are on . The indicator light. in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- The
headlight flasher works on ly as long as
you ho ld the lever -even if there a re no
lights switched on. The indicator light . in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use the headlight flasher.
(D Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could be
blinding oncoming traffic.
Interior Lights
Interior light s
The interior lights include the reading lights
for the driver and the front passenger.
Fig. 67 Sect ion from headliner: Interior lights
Activating door contact circuit
.,. Press the button@. The LED in the button
illumi nates.
Deactivating door contact circuit
"" Press the button @. The LED in the button
goes out.
Front reading lights ~
"" Press one of the switches @ to turn the
r ight or left reading l ight on or off.
With the door contact circuit, the interior
lights tur n on as soon as you unlock the vehi-
cle or open the doors. The interior lights are
Ill>

66 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger . Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection ¢
page 117.
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child safety seat on the front
passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion rega rd ing child safety provided in
¢ page 138, Child Safety .
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
airbag infla tes and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to your body height so
that they can give you max imum protec­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel or instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r fron t pa s­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle contro l and
personal inj ury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit io n.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily p ush the peda ls to the
floor wh ile keeping your knee slightly bent
i::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page 66 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Posit io n the head restraint according to the
occupant 's height
<=:>page 68 . For maxi­
mum protection, t he top of the head re­
s t raint shou ld be a t least at eye level, pref ­
erab ly higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 102, fig. 107 .
A WARNING "--
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot-
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal function. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
wo uld not be able to brake or accelerate!

On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance.
Fig. 84 Lever under the stee ring column
• Push the lever ¢ fig. 84 down ¢ &.
• Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi­
tion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­
ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury .
- Adjust the steering whee l column only
when the veh icle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
-
-Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
¢ page 100, fig. 106. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis ­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physica l limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
On the road 77
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is available.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steer ing wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig. 85 Igniti on lock posit ions
Ignition off©
In position ¢ fig. 85@ both the ignition and
engine are
off, and the steering is locked .
To
lock the steering after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steer ing wheel in ei­
ther direction until you hear it lock into place.
You should always lock the steering whenever
you leave your vehicle. This makes vehicle
theft even more difficult
c::> .&. .

78 On the road
Ignition on @
Afte r switching the ignition on, the needles
move a ll the way up and then down .
I f it is difficult to tu rn the key afte r you have
i nserted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering wheel back and forth. This will take
the load off the steering lock mechan ism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and start the engine .
Starting the engine @
In th is position the engine sta rts. While the
engine is start ing, the power s upply to the
headlights and other e lectr ica l cons umers is
tempo rari ly interrupted to conserve battery
power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position@. The
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steeri ng wheel will lock causing loss of
contro l.
- If you have to leave your vehicle - even
for just a m inute - always remove t he ig­
nition key and ta ke it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave ch ildren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld star t t he engine or use
other vehicle controls . Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for examp le, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
jur ies.
(D Tips
If the veh icle battery has been discon nect­
ed and then reconnected, then you must leave the key in pos ition @for abo ut 5
seconds before you can start t he engine.
-
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig ­
inal Audi key.
On vehicles with R tronic *, the engine can be
started in the ne utra l position N and in each
gear (1 - 6 and R).
.. Se t the park ing brake ¢,&. .
.. On ve hicles with ma nual transmission *, fully
depress the cl utch peda l.
.. Press and hold the brake peda l.
.. Turn the ignition key to posit ion @
¢ page 77, fig . 85 - do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine .
.. Let go of the key as soo n as the engine
starts - the sta rter must not cont inue to
r u n. On veh icles w it h R t ro nic , sele ct ge ar
posi tion N.
A cold engine may at first be loud afte r it has
been started. This is due to the hydrau lic
valves b uilding up the oil p ress ure. This is no r­
mal and no need fo r conce rn .
If th e engine does not start imm ediately, stop
t ry ing after 10 seconds and t hen t ry to res tart
t h e engine abou t 30 seconds later.
A WARNING
-
- Never star t or le t the eng ine run in a con ­
f ined o r enclosed area . Exha ust fumes
from the en gine contain carbon monox­
ide, a co lorless and odorless gas. Carbon
monox ide ca n be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine id ling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle w ith a run ning
e ngine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft.
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the ve hicle w it h
the foot brak e.
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. This could damage the
eng ine.

80 On the road
The parking brake warning light_
(USA)/ . (CON) illuminates when the parking
brake is set and you switch on the ignition.
A WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com­
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce their ef­
fectiveness and cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the vehicle has come to com­
plete stop, should you firmly set the park­
ing brake and
move the gearshift lever into
a gear.
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling
away, there are a few things you should do .
.. Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
.. Set the parking brake firmly .
.. Switch off the engine.
.. Engage a gear
q ,&. .
What else you should do when parking
your vehicle on an incline or decline
Turn the steering wheel so that if the vehicle
should start to roll, it will roll into the curb.
A WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in­
jury when leaving your vehicle.
- Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable materials.
- Never allow anyone - especially small
children - to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas­
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children could release the park­
ing brake or
move the gearshift lever out
-
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and cause an accident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem­
perature in a parked vehicle can reach
dangerous levels.
Starting on hills
Applies to vehicles: with hill hold assist
Hill hold assist makes it easier to start on
hills .
The system is activated when the brake pedal
is depressed
for a few seconds.
After releasing the brake pedal, the brake
power is held for a
brief moment to prevent
the vehicle from rolling back when starting.
During this time, you can easily begin to
move
your vehicle.
A WARNING
-- If you did not begin moving immediately
after releasing the brake pedal, the vehi­
cle could begin to roll backward under
certain circumstances. Depress the brake
pedal immediately or engage the parking
brake.
- If the engine stalls, depress the brake
pedal immediately or engage the parking
brake.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
unintentionally when starting in stop­
and-go traffic, keep the brake pedal de­
pressed for a few seconds before driving
off.
(D Tips
You can find out if your vehicle is equipped
with "hill hold assist" at an authorized Au­
di dealer.