2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

Instrument s and warnin g/indi cator ligh ts 15
Canada mod els :
Safety systems
¢page 17
Generator
¢page 17
Safety be lt
¢page 17
USA model s:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢page 17
Canada model s:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢ page 17
USA models:
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
Canada mod els:
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
& WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam­
age.
- Whenever sta lled or stopped for repa ir,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher ¢
page 5 7.
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down . Always exercise extreme ca u­
t io n when wor king under the engine
c ompartment l id ¢
page 175, Working
in the engine compartment .
(D Tips
-When a yellow warn ing symbol appears,
one war ning tone sounds. Che ck the
f unct ion disp laye d a s soon as poss ible.
- When a red symbol appears,
three warn­
i ng tones so und in a row. The symbo l cont
in ues to flash until the fault has
been corrected.
; Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The ind icator light E illuminates when the ig­
ni tion is switched on as a func tion check .
@ Tips
If the indicato r la mp illuminates wh ile you
a re driving, the re is a malfunction in the
vehicle damping. The ch assis should be in­
spected immed iate ly by an authori zed Au­
di dealer.
ill Tire pressure monitoring system
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h tire p ressu re mo nito ring system
Tire pressure that is too low must be correct ­
ed as soon as possible.
T he wa rning/indicator lig ht RI] ill umi nates for
a few seconds after the ignition is tur ned on
a5 a function check. If the [D] warning light
comes on, pressure in at least one tire is too
l ow.
.,. Stop d riving as soon as possib le w ithout en­
danger ing yourself and other drivers on the
road.
.. Inspect all tires.
.. Correct the tire pressure¢
page 195.
Additional in format ion about the tire pr es­
s ure monitoring system
can be found
¢ page 207 .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
T he warni ng/indicator light ( Electronic Power
Control) ~ illuminates when you switch on
the ignition as a functio n check.
Iii>

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 .

20 Driver information system
Driver information
system
Introduction
The Driver information display inside the in ­
strument cluster provides you, the driver ,
with important information.
Fig. 7 In strum en t cl ust er: center display
Fig. 8 Wiper le ver: c on trols fo r the menu display
Center display
With the ignition on, the display in the Driver
Information System shows the following in­
formation :
- CD inserted or Radio station set
- Outside temperature: At temperatures be-
low 41 °F ( +S °C), a snowflake symbol ap­
pears in front of the temperature display
¢.&_ .
-Warning when a door, the engine compart-
ment lid or the trunk lid is not closed .
Additional functions
You can open the following function s in the
Driver Information System display by pressing
the
! R ESE T I button ¢ fig. 8 one or more times:
Trip computer
¢poge22
Digital speedometer
Lap timer
Menu display 9 page26
¢page24
The speed warning system is also displayed in
the Driver Information System. You can read
how to set it in¢
page 28.
Auto Check Control
Some functions and vehicle components are
scanned for the ir operating status when you
switch the ignition on and while you are driv­
ing. Malfunctions or required service proce­
dures are signaled audibly and indicated by
red and yellow illuminated symbols and re­
minders in the display ¢
page 30.
A WARNING
--
- Never rely exclusively on the outside
temperature display to determine if a
road surface is icy or not. Keep in mind
that road surfaces , especially bridges
and overpasses, could be ice covered and
slippery even at an outside temperature
above 41 °F (+S °C).
- Always remember, even if the "snow­
flake " symbol (ice warning) does not ap­
pear in the display, black ice could be on
the road.
-Always reduce your speed and drive with
special care in cold weather conditions
when the chance of encountering icy
road surfaces increases.
(0 Tips
- On vehicles with R tronic*, the reminders
do not appear in the display until you se­
lect a gear.
- On vehicles with Audi Navigation system,
the displays may differ from their normal
appearance during navigation.

Service interval display
The service in terval display reminds you when
your next service
is due.
F ig . 9 Sectio n of i nst rum ent cluste r: Serv ice inte rva l
d is p lay
The schedule for the next oil change or inspec­
tion is calc ulated automatically and displayed
according ly. The display works in two stages :
Service reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a se rv­
ice reminder appears in the display when yo u
turn on the ignition.
Afte r abo ut
5 seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The d ista nce and time re­
maining are updated each time the ignition is
turned o n until the date due for service is
reached .
Service due
W hen the due d ate for service is reached , the
message
Ser vice due! appears in the instr u­
ment cluster immediately after you tu rn on
the ignition. Additionally, a warning tone
sounds. After about
5 seconds the display
sw itches back to normal.
Calling up the serv ice schedules
I f o r when an oil change or inspect ion is due,
can be shown in the instrument cl uster by se­
l ecting the service interval display . Select
Check > Se rvice > Oil change or Ser vice by us­
ing the
I R ESET I button and the rocker switch
c:;, page 24, fig . 13.
Re setting the service interval di splay
Your authorized A udi dealer wi ll reset the cor­
responding service sched ule after performing
Dr iver in formation system 21
the appropriate service on your vehicle. You
also have the possibility to reset the o il
change schedule after hav ing performed a n
o il change according to Audi specifications.
- Switch the ignit ion on.
- Pull the knob
c:;, fig . 9 . Th e message. Servic e
due!
appears .
- Pull the knob unt il t he display
Oil change in
----· mi (km)--· d ay s
appea rs. If the I RESE T I
button is not pu lled w ith in 5 secon ds, the
disp lay reset mode closes .
(D Note
If you discon nect the battery te rm inals, no
ca lcula tions can be ma de fo r the service
i nte rva l disp lay dur ing this time and no
se rvice reminder will appear. Remember
that observing the proper service interva ls
i s vitally important to extending the life of
your vehicle, particularly the engine, and maintain ing its value. Even if the mileage
d rive n is low, t he maximum per iod of one
year fro m one serv ice to the ne xt m ust not
be ex ceeded .
@ Tips
-Do not rese t the display between oil
c hanges, othe rwise the d isp lay w ill be in­
co rrec t.
- Th e info rmat ion in the Se rv ice Reminder
remains stored eve n w hen t he ve hicl e
ba ttery is dis connec ted.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
On -Boa rd Diagnostics
Fi g. 10 Locatio n of Data Li nk Conn ector (DLC)

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) . ..,.