2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER center console

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>

instruments (needles and dials) is automati­
cally adjusted to ambient conditions. The driv­
er can a lso ad just the brightness of the light­
ing.
Ignition ON , light switch at @
With the ignition swi tched O N, the glow of in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON , light switch at coo; or gD .
With the l igh ts sw itched on, the bright ness of
in str ument cluster (i.e. needles, g auges and
disp lays) and center console i llumination can
be adjusted .
(D Note
The inst rument cl uster and cente r console
illum ination (ga uges and needles) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off. Be aware of t he
following difference between mode ls built
to US or Canadian specifications:
- USA models: illumination of the inst ru­
ment cluster (ga uges and needles), das h
and center console around the gearsh ift
l ever is controlled by a light senso r locat­
ed in the instrument panel. The instru­
m ent pane l illumination will a utomat i­
call y become dimmer as t he day ligh t
fades away and eventually will go o ut
com plete ly when o utside light is ve ry
l ow. This is to rem ind you, the driver, to
switch on the headlights before it gets
too dark .
- Canada mode ls: instrument panel i llum i­
nat ion will stay bright regard less of the
i ntensity of amb ient light. Always be
aware of c hanges in outside light cond i­
t ions wh ile you are driving. Respond in
time to fadi ng daylight by tu rning the
l ight sw itch to posit ion
io (or "AUTO" if
you r ca r is equ ipped with th is featu re) to
turn on your hea dligh ts. Clear vi
sion 5 7
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 65 Cent er consol e: eme rge ncy flas he r sw itc h
.,. Press the switc h l!J ~ fig. 65 to switch t he
emergency flasher on or off.
When the eme rgency f las her is on, all four
turn s ignal b link at t he same time . Th e turn
signal indicato r lights
1111 in t he instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the eme rgency
flasher switch ~ blink likew ise . The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
switched off .
The eme rgency flasher will automatically
switch on if you are in an accident where the
airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You sho uld switch on the emergency flash­
er when:
- you a re the last ve hicle standing in a t ra f­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- yo ur vehicle has bro ken dow n or you are
in an eme rgency s ituation, or when
- yo ur vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.

-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.

82 On the road
You can also increase your speed by pressing
the accelerator pedal. After you release the
accelerator pedal, the system automat ically
adjusts back down to the speed you previously
set .
However, if you exceed this speed by 5 mph
(10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes, the stor ­
ed speed will be deleted. You will have to re­
save it.
Briefly pressing lever
The desired speed is increased by about 2 mph
(2 km/h) by briefly pressing the lever upwards
towards
c:> page 81 , fig . 87 0 -
The desired speed is decreased by about 2
mph (2 km/h) by briefly pressing the lever
downwards towards
c:> poge 81, fig. 87G).
Switching control mode off temporarily
.. Step on the brake pedal, or
.. Depress the clutch pedal all the way, or
.. Press the lever towards @(not latched)
c> page 81, fig. 87 .
When the system is turned off temporarily,
the speed stored at the time is retained.
To resume the stored speed, release the brake
or clutch pedal and pu ll the lever to position
(D .
If no desired speed was stored when the sys­
tem was temporarily switched
off, you can
store a new desired speed as follows: Drive at
the desired speed and briefly press button
c> page 81, fig. 87 @ (SET) .
A WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed
if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions - risk of an accident!
Deactivating
.. Press leve r into position @(latc hed)
¢ page 81, fig. 87.
The saved speed value is deleted when the ig­
nition is switched
off.
(D Tips
Switch the cruise control system off com­
pletely at the end of each trip. When you
start the next trip, the desired speed can
be set simp ly from the basic setting
c>poge 81.
Audi magnetic ride
Damping con be adjusted to the driver's pref­
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur­
rent driving situation .
Fig. 88 Center console: Sw itch for Audi magnet ic ride
.. Press the switch c:> fig. 88 to turn sport set-
ting on or
off.
Audi magnet ic rid e is an elec tronically con­
trolled damping system . This chassis system
assists the driver by adapting to the particular
situation through imperceptible control proc­
esses. The
damping provides individual modu­
lation of damp ing forces. For examp le, w ith
damp ing characteristics set to provide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when braking.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus­
pension setting emphasiz ing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting i f you prefer a spo rty
suspension setting . The LED in the switch
g
comes on to indicate sport setting .

88 Automated manual transmi ssion
• To shift down, press the paddle on the left
o .
• To shift up, press the paddle on the right G) .
Of course, you can continue to use the manual
shift p rogram with the selector lever in the
center console .

Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Fig . 96 Section of the center console: Par k ass ist
switch
F ig. 97 Nav igatio n system dis p lay: visual distance d is ­
play
Switching on
.,. Switch the navigation system and the navi­
gation system disp lay on.
.,. Engage the reverse gear, or
.,. Press the
l""' I switc h in the center console
9 fig . 96. A short confirma tion tone so unds
and the indicato r light in the switch lights
up .
Sw itching between the rear v iew camera
and visual display
.,. Press the Graphic con trol button
9 page 9 2, fig . 98 to see the visua l dis­
play .
.,. Press the
Rear view contro l button to see
the rear view camera image
c) fig. 9 7.
Switching off
.,. Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), o r
.,. Press the
l""' I switch, or
.,. Switch off the ignition .
Parking system 91
Segm ents in the visual display
The red segmen ts i n fro nt of and behind the
vehicle
c) fig . 97 he lp you to de termine the
distance between yo u and an obstacle. As
you r vehicle comes close r to t he obstacle, the
segments move closer to the vehicle . The col­
lision area has been reached when the next to
l ast segment is displayed. Do not continue
driv ing farther
c) .&. in General Information
on page
90!
A WARNING
- Th e nav igation system d isplay cannot
show, or c annot adequately show, cer­
tain o bjects (s uch as small posts o r gra­
ting), recesses in the groun d and pro­
trud ing parts on anothe r ca r.
- On ly use t he rearview came ra to assist
you if it shows a goo d, clear pict ure. For
examp le, the image may be affected by
the sun sh ining into the lens, d irt on the
lens or if there is a defect.
@ Tips
- The sensors m ust be kept clean and free
of s now and ice for the park assist to op­
erate .
- Yo u can change the vo lume and pitch of
the s ignals
c::> page 93 .
- What appea rs in the disp lay is time -de ­
layed.
-

132 Airbag system
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys ­
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the sp rings, suspen­
sion struts, shock absorbe rs etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
sensors a nd sent to the electron ic control
un it. Some suspension changes ca n, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas­ ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the driver and front passenger seat tell the elec­
tronic con trol module if the safety bel t is
latched or not .
If the safety belt is being used,
the front a irbag will deploy at a slightly high­
e r rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt i s not being used. Therefo re, i n a par­
ticular co llision, it is poss ible that an a irbag
will not deploy at a seati ng position where the
safety be lt is being used but will inflate at the
position where the safety belt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electron ic control unit .
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle 's s uspension includ­
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina­
t ions can change Advan ced Airbag per­
formance and increase the risk of ser io us
personal in jury in a crash.
- Never install suspens io n components
that do not have the same performance
characteristics as the components origi ­
nally installed on your vehicle .
- Never use tire -rim combinat ions that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
-Items stored between the safety be lt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the buckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­
bag System from wo rking properly.
- Always ma ke sure that nothing can inter­
fere wi th the safety belt buckles a nd that
they are not obstruc ted .
@ For the sake of the env ironment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ione rs might be classified as Perchlorate
Ma teria l - specia l hand ling may apply, see
www .d tsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­
ch lorate. W hen the vehicle or parts of t he
restraint system including airbag modu les
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicab le laws and regu la­
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familia r with these require­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service fo r you.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat occupants .
Fig. 1 26 D river 's ai rb ag
The airbag for the driver is Located in the in­
strument panel underneath the steering
whee l
c::> fig. 126, the airbag for the passenger
is at about the same height in the inst rument
panel underneath the g love compartment . ..,_