2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

_& WARNING
Broken glass of automatic dimming mirror
can cause electrolyte fluid leakage. Elec­
trolyte fluid can irritate sk in, eyes, and res­
piratory system .
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­ trolyte can cause ir ritation to the resp ira­
tory system, espec ially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­
ti ons. Get fres h ai r i mmedia tely by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoro ughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 min utes;
med ica l attent ion is recommended.
- If e lectrolyte contacts sk in, f lush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended . T horoughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse .
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth w ith water for at least 15
min utes . Do not i nd uce vom it in g unless
inst ructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical atten tion immediately.
CD Note
liquid electro lyte leaked from a b roken
m irror glass will damage any p lastic surfa­
ces it comes in contact with. Clean up spil­
led electro lyte immediately wi th clear wa ­
t er and a sponge.
(D Tips
- If yo u switch off the automatic dim·
ming function on th e in sid e mirror , au ­
t o mati c dimming of the out sid e mirror s
w ill likewi se be di sabled .
-Check to make sure there are no objects
preventing light from reaching the inside
mirro r.
- Do no t attach any sticke rs to the wind ­
sh ield in front of t he two light sensors,
as this would interfere with both the au ­
tomatic operation of the headlights and
Clear vi sion 63
the a utomatic dimming of the inside
mirror(s) .
Outside mirrors
The outsid e mirrors ar e electrically adjusted .
Fig. 73 Forward sect io n of dr iv er's armrest: powe r mir ­
ro r control s
Adjusting the outside mirrors
.,. Turn the adjust ing knob to position © (driv­
er 's s ide) or in pos ition ® (passenger side)
r::!) fig. 73.
... Press the knob in the appropriate dire ction
to move the mi rror surface so that yo u have
a good view to the rear .
Heated mirrors
... Tu rn the knob to position @.
Folding both out side mirro rs flat*
.,. Turn the knob to @.
Depend ing on the outside temperature, the
mirror surfaces are heated until the ignition is
switched off - even if the knob is no longer in
pos ition @.
You are we ll-advised to fold* the outside mir­
rors in maneuvering in tight spaces or when
leaving the car parked close to other vehicles.
CD Note
- Curved (i .e. convex) mirror surfaces in­
crease yo ur field of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat m irror . If you use this mir­
ror to estimate distances of following ve-
hicles when chang ing lanes, you could ..,.

64 Clear vis ion
estimate incorrect ly and cause an acci ­
dent .
- If the mirror ho using is moved un inten­
tiona lly (for example, while parking your
vehicle), then you must first fo ld the mir­
ror electrically. Do not readjust the mir­
ror hous ing manually. You could damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
If there shou ld be a malfunction in the
electrical system, you can still adjust the
outs ide mirrors by press ing the edge of
the mirror .
Automatic dimming for outside mirrors
Applies to vehicles: with automatic dimming for outside
mirrors
The outside m irrors are dimmed together with
the automatic d imm ing of the inside m irror.
When the ign it ion is switched on, the m irrors
darken automat ically depending on the light
str iki ng them (e.g. headlights from the rea r).
When the interior lighting is switched on and
when reverse gear is engaged, the mirrors are
sw itched back to their or iginal br ightness (not
d immed).
_& WARNING
Broken g lass of automa tic dimming m irror
c an ca use e lectrolyte fluid leakage. Elec ­
trolyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes, and res ­
piratory system .
- Repeated o r prolonged exposure to elec­
t ro lyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, especially among people
with asthma or other respiratory cond i­
t ions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open wi ndows and doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoroughly with la rge amounts of
clean water for at least 15 m in utes ;
med ica l attent ion is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts sk in, f lush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected ar ea with soap and water; medical attention
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse.
- If swallowed and person is conscious,
rinse mouth with water for at least 15
minutes. Do not induce vomiting unless
instructed to do so by medical professio­
na l. Get medical attention immediately.
([) Note
Electrolyte leaking from a broken mirror
glass attacks the vehicle pa int and p lastic
surfaces. C lean up spilled elect ro lyte im­
med iately with clear water and a sponge.
@ Tips
- If automatic dimming for the inside m ir­
ror is switched off, the outside mirrors
are also not dimmed automat ically.
- Automatic d imm ing for the mirror on ly
operates properly if the l igh t striking the
inside m irror is not hi ndered by othe r ob­
jects.
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
The direction is displayed on the interior rear ­
view mirror.
NW
Fi g. 74 Inside rea rv iew mirr or: digi tal co mpass activa t­
ed
.. To activate or deac tiva te, ho ld the @ button
down unti l the red display appears or disap­
pea rs .
T he dig ita l compass o nly works w it h the igni­
t ion turned on . The directions are d isp layed as
initials :
N (North), NE (Northeast), E (East), 1111>

SE (Southeast), S (South), SW (Southwest),
W (West), NW (Northwest).
@ Tips
To avoid inaccurate di rections, do not al­
low any remote controls, electrical sys ­
tems, or metal parts close to the mirror .
Setting the magnetic deflection zone
The correct magnetic deflection zone must be
set in order to display the directions correctly.
®
Fi g. 75 Magnet ic d efl ect io n zon e boundar ies
.. Hold the@ button ~ page 64, fig . 7 4 down
unt il the number of the set magnetic deflec ­
t ion zone appears on the inter ior rear view
mirror .
.. Adjust the magnetic deflection zone by re­
peatedly pressing on the@ button . The set
mode automatically deactivates after a few
seco nds .
Calibrating the compass
The compass has to be recalibrated if the dis­
play is wrong or inaccurate .
.. Hold the@ button down until the letter C is
displayed on the inter ior rearview m irror .
Clear vi sion 65
.. Dr ive in a circle at a speed o f abo ut 5 mph
(10 km/h) until a direction is shown on the
interior rearview mirror .
A WARNING
The digital compass is to be used as a di­
rectional aid only. Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must still pay attent ion to traffic, road and
weather conditions as well as othe r possi­
b le ha za rds.

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!

Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position .
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
p loying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessary and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly . We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat in the following manner:
.,. Move the front passenger seat into the rear ­
most position of the fore and aft adjustment
range
c:::> &. in Why is your seat adjustment
so important? on page
66.
.,. Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
position.
Do not ride with the seat reclined .
.,. The idea l position for the head restraint is
with the upper edge of the restraint leve l
with the top of your head
c:::> page 68. You
shou ld
not lower the top of the restra int be­
low the level of your eyes .
.,. Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenge r's seat .
Power seats
Adjustment switches
The operating logic for the switches corre­
sponds to the construction and function of
the seat.
Fig . 76 Ad just men t sw itches: locations on driver sea t
The operating log ic for the switches corre­
sponds to the construction, the design and
the function of the seat . Push or pull e ithe r
sw itch in exactly the same direction you want
the corresponding part of the seat to move.
Seats and storage 67
Adjustment switches
CD Adjusting the lumbar support
@ Adjusting seat height and fore-and-aft po­
sit ion
@ Adjusting the angle of the seatback
Power seat adjustment
The switches can be moved in various direc­
tions to allow precise adjustment.
Read and heed all warnings before you adjust
your seat.
c:::> &. .
Adjusting the curvature of the lumbar
support
.,. Push the forward or rear depression on the
sw itch shell
CD c:::> page 67, fig. 76 to in­
crease or decrease the backrest curvature.
Adjusting the height of the lumbar
support
.,. Push the top o r bottom depress ion on the
sw itch shell
CD to raise or lower the support
i n the backrest.
Moving the front seats forward or
backward
.,. Press the switch @forward or backward
hor izont ally.
Adjusting the seat height
.,. Pull or pus h the switch @even ly at both
ends to ra ise or lower the seat .
Angling the seat cushion up and down
(front)
.,. Pull or push the switch @at the front only
to ra ise or lower the seat .
Angling the seat cushion up and down
(rear)
.,. Pull or pus h the switch @at the rear only to
raise or lower the seat.
Adjusting the seatback
... Push or pull the switch ® in the same direc-
tion you want the seatback to tilt . ..,.

68 Seats and st o ra ge
_&. WARNING
- Ne ver adj ust t he d river's or front passen ­
ger seat whi le the vehicle is mov ing . If
you do this while the vehicle is moving,
you will be out of posit ion. Always adjust
the driver's or front passenger seat when
the vehicle is not moving.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
height. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury could result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­
justed with the ignit ion key removed,
never leave children unattended in the
vehicle. Unsupervised use of the e lectr ic
sea t ad justments may cause serious in­
Jury.
- To reduce the r isk of injury in the case of
sudden bra king or accide nt, front pas­
senge rs must never ride in a moving
ve ­
hicle wi th the seatback recl ined. Safety
belts and the airbag system offer maxi­
mum p rotection on ly when the seatback
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
er ly posit ioned on the body . The more
the seatback is recli ned, the greater the
r isk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating pos it ion and improperly posi­
t ioned safety be lts!
- Always make su re the front seatbac ks are
in the up right posit ion when dr iv ing .
Head restraints
Adjusting head restraints
Fig . 77 Ad just ing head rest ra in ts
The head rest raints can be ad justed to p rovide
safe support to head und neck at t he opti­
m um heig ht. When optimally ad justed, the top o
f th e restraint should be leve l w ith the
top of the head. If that is not possible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to this position as possible
c::> page 102.
.. Grasp the s ides of the head restraint wi th
both hands and slide it upward/downward
until you fee l it click into place ¢
fig. 77 .
A WARNING
--
-Driving without head restraints or with
head restra ints that a re not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal nec k inju ry dramatically.
- Read and heed all WARNI NGS
¢page 102.
(D Tips
Correct ly adjusted head restraints and
safety be lts are an ext reme ly effect ive
combination of safety features.
Cup holder
F ig . 7 8 Cup ho lder
A WARNING
--
Spilled hot liqu id can cause an accident
and personal injury.
- Never carry any beverage conta iners with
hot liq uids, such as hot coffee o r hot tea,
i n the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
veh icle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns. Spilled hot liquid
can also cau se an a cciden t and personal
i njur y.

-Use only soft cups in the cupholder. Hard
cups and g lasses can cause injury in an
accident.
- Never use the cupholder or adapter as an
ashtray- risk of fire.
CD Note
Only drink containers with lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liquid could spill
out and damage your vehicle's electronic
equipment or stain the upholstery, etc.
Ashtray
Fig. 79 Center console: ash tray
The ashtray is inserted in the cupholder.
Opening the ashtray
.. Fold the cover upward.
Emptying the ashtray
.. Lift the closed ashtray up out of the cu­
pholder.
A WARNING
Never put waste paper in the ashtray. Hot
ashes o r other hot objects in the ashtray
could set waste paper on fire.
Cigarette Lighter/
socket
The c igarette lighter or socket only work with
the ignition on.
Using the cigarette lighter
.. Slide the cover open to reach the cigarette
lighter
<=> page 69.
Seats and storage 69
.. Push the knob in.
.. Wait until the cigarette lighter knob pops
out .
.. Remove the cigarette lighter immediately
and use it.
.. Reinsert cigarette lighter into the socket af­
ter use.
Connecting an appliance
.. Slide the cover open to reach the cigarette
lighter.
.. Remove cigarette lighter .
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
The socket of the cigarette lighter may be used for 12-volt appliances with maximum
consumption of up to 100 watts, such as a
flash light, small vacuum cleaner, etc.
A WARNING
- Improper use of the cigarette lighte r can
cause serious injury or start a fire.
- Be careful when using the cigarette light­
er. If you do not pay attention to what
you are doing when you are using the cig­
arette lighter you can burn yourself.
CD Note
-To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Only use the cigarette lighter socket as a
power source for electrical accessories
for short durations. Use the sockets in the vehicle when a power source is need­
ed for longer durations .
(D Tips
-When the engine is off and accessories
are still plugged in and are on, the vehi­
cle battery can still be drained.
- Th e veh icle battery must not be charged
w ith a standard small charger that plugs
into the cigarette lighter or outlet.

70 Seats and st o ra ge
Storage
"
General
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instru-
ment pane l. Any items not put away
cou ld slide around inside the vehicle
whi le driving or when accelerating or
when applying the brakes or when driv­
ing around a corner.
- When you are drivi ng make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen ­
ter console or othe r storage locations
cannot fa ll out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake, depress the clutch or acceler­ ate.
Glove compartment
The glove compartment is illuminated and
can be locked .
Fig. 8 0 G love co mpa rtm ent
To open glove compartment
.,. Pull the handle ¢ fig . 80 in the direction of
the arrow, push down lid to the fully open
pos it ion.
To close glove compartment
.,. Push the glove compartment lid upward un -
t il t he lock engages .
The glove compartment light comes on as the
parking or driving l ights are sw itched on and
the compartment is opened . You will fi nd a
g lasses case in the lid . The glove compartment has a standard
12
-
volt socket for connecting electrical accesso­
ries. The power cons umption at the o utlet
must not exceed 100 watts. The socket works
only w ith the ignition switched on.
A WARNING
--
To reduce the risk of pe rsonal inju ry i n an
accident or sudde n stop, always keep the
g love compartme nt closed while driving .
Storage compartment in the front seats
Applies to veh icles: w ith storage compartment in the
front seats
There is a fold-out storage compartment in
the front of the seats.
Opening
.,. Lift the handle and pull the drawer o ut.
Closing
.,. Push the drawer in complete ly until it latch ­
es .
© Tips
The maximum carrying capacity 2.2 lbs .
(I kg).
Storage compartments between the
seat backrests
The storage compartments are illuminated
and can be locked with the vehicle key.
Fi g. 81 Storage compartments between t he seat
back rests
The CD changer* or the Audi Music In terface*
are located in the lowe r storage compart­
ment.