14 Instruments and warning /indicator light s
Warning/indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions or a possible malfunction.
Fig. 6 Instrument duster w ith warning/indicator lights
(D Warning/ind icator lights in the tachometer
@ Turn signals
c::> page 16
® Warning/indicator lights in the Driver In
formation System
c::> page 30
@ Wa rning/ind icator lights in the speedome
ter
@Warning/indicator lights in the
tachometer
Audi magnet ic r ide
<::>page 15
Tire pressure too low
<::>page 15, c::>page207
Electronic power control
<::>page 15
Convertib le top operation
r::!>page 16
Electronic Stabilizat io n Pro
gram (ESP)
c:>page 16
USA models:
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
( M IL)
¢page22
Canada models :
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(MIL)
c:>page22
High beam
<::>page 16
Rear spoiler
c:>page 16
@ Warning/indicator lights in the
speedometer
I
•
Elec tron ic Sta biliza tion Pro
gram (ESP)
<::>page 16
USA models:
Cruise control activated
<::>page 17
Canada models :
Cruise control activated
c::> page 17
USA models:
Safety systems
<::>page 17
-----·-
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.
~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec· tive .
If a defective bulb has been detected by the
system or a light bulb burns out, the
II sym
bol with a message appears in the display to
tell you wh ich bu lb is bur nt out and where it is
located. For example:
R ea r left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears . If
you want to recall the message into the dis play, press the CHECK button
c::> page 10,
fig . 3 @ .
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appea r in the display:
- The light bulb has burnt out
c=> poge 224 .
- The fuse is "blown"¢ page 223, Replacing
fuses.
- T he w ire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective .
H ave the bulb rep laced or the connection re·
pa ired by you r authorized Aud i Servi ce depart
ment.
A WARNING
- Light bu lbs are pressurized and co uld ex
plode while they are being changed caus
ing serious persona l injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps . Failing to do so co uld re
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT t<®> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fa il·
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
K@ )] (Canada models) can appear . The follow
i ng e lectr ica l components should be checked,
repaired or replaced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All w iring connections
- Brake light switch
Dr iver in formati on sys tem 35
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for assis
tance if necessary.
(0 Tips
The brake light sw itch is on ly inspected as
part of the functional chec k afte r the en
gine is started .
fi.D Light/rain sensor defective
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys
tem.
If the symbol ftl illum inates, the light sensor
has failed. Fo r safety reasons, the low beams
are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. However, yo u can cont inue to turn the
li ghts on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind
shield wiper lever functions are still availab le .
Have the light/ rain senso r checked as soon as
poss ib le at an autho rized Aud i dea ler.
1" IF{ Selector lever defective
Applies to vehic les : wi th R tronic
D 1;j Sele ctor l ever defectiv e! No rev ers e
ge ar!
If the symbols are il lum ina ted, the re is a mal·
funct io n in the R tronic selector lever. These·
l ector lever d isp lays go out o r flash.
It is not
poss ible to engage reverse gear . If you have
been shifting the transm iss ion manually, it
switches to a utomatic operation .
You can continue to shift the transm iss ion
manua lly. From the neu tral pos ition N, en
gage first gea r by tapping the shift button
0
on the steering wheel. Then the transmission
rema ins in manual ope ration and you can se
lect the gears using the sh ift b uttons.
Have the se lector lever checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Audi dea ler or other
qualified workshop.
Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on/off
Fig. 63 In str ume nt pa ne l: lig ht sw itc h (auto mat ic
head· a nd ta ill ig ht control)
Switching on the side marke r lights
... Turn the light switch to :oo::.
Switching on the headlights and high
beam
... Turn the light switch to §D.
.,. Push the h igh beam lever forwa rd towa rds
t h e instrument panel~
page 58 .
Sw itching off the lights
.,. Turn the light switch to 0 .
Sw itching on automatic head- and
taillight control
.,. Turn the light switch to AUTO ~ fig. 63 .
The headlig hts and tai lligh ts w ill come on au
tomatically when the ignition is sw itche d on
and the light switch is in the position AU TO
(on ly in nig httime conditions). When switch·
ing off the ignit io n, the headlig hts wi ll go off
and only the side marker lights will remai n lit.
Daytime running lights
USA models: The daytime r unning lig hts will
come on a utomat ica lly when the ig nition is
sw itched on and the light switch is in the posi·
tion
AUTO (only in daylight conditions).
Canada models : Th e daytime runni ng lights
will come on a utomat ically when the ignition
is switched on and the light switch is in the
Clear vi sion 55
position 0 , AUTO (on ly in daylight conditions)
or ;oo :.
Automatic head- and taillight control
In the swi tch position AUTO the au tomati c
he ad- and t aillight con tro l is activ ated. Ligh t
senso rs ar e loca ted in t he i nside mir ro r h ous
ing and co nstantly chec k the light cond itions
su rroundi ng the vehicle. If ambient bright
ness fa lls below a factory set value (e .g. when
dr iv ing into a tunnel), the head- and tail lights
i ncl uding the license plate illuminati on are
automat ica lly t urned on . When ambient
brightness i ncreases aga in, the exte rnal ligh ts
ar e turned off aga in
c> &. . In the switch posi
t ion
AUTO , the low beams are tur ned off when
th e ign ition is swi tched o ff. Th e rem aining
li gh ts are turned off when the key is ta ke n out
of the ignition lock.
W it h a utomat ic head- and taill igh t con trol,
t he h igh-beam fu nction is also ava ilable , bu t
with one rest ric t ion : If you have not sw itche d
the h igh beams back to low beams during a u
tomat ic head light operat ion (for examp le, af
ter driving through a tunnel), on ly the low
beams come on the next time automatic
headlig hts are switched on. To use the high
beams, yo u fi rst have to pull the h igh beam
lever back and then push the lever forwa rd
agam .
The side ma rke r lights a nd headlights ca n be
sw itc hed on manually by turn ing the light
swi tc h to the des ired pos ition .
Light sensor malfunction
If there is a light sensor ma lfunction, the
symbol
II comes on in the display . For safety
reasons, the low beams are tu rned on perma
nently with t he sw itch in
AUTO . However, you
can con tinue to tu rn the lights on and off us
in g t he light switch . Have t he ligh t sensor
c h eck ed as soon a s possib le a t an au thorized
A udi dealer.
Coming home/leaving home function
The function is sw itched on when the sw itch is
i n the
AUTO pos ition and th e funct ion is liJJ,,
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>
62 Clear vis ion
Install ing th e wiper blade
.,. Pla ce the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the w iper arm in the
op pos ite direc
tion to the arrow @
r=;, fig. 71.
.,. Squeeze the corrugation on the w iper until
you hear it click in the wiper arm .
.,. Fold the wiper arm back onto the wind
shield .
.,. Switch the ign ition on and move the wiper
lever down briefly
r=;, page 59, fig . 69 . The
wipe r will move back to the park position.
_& WARNING
- Clean yo ur wiper blades regularly w it h a
windshield washer solution to prevent streaking. If the wipe r blades are very
dirty, for examp le with insects, carefu lly
clean the w iper blades with a sponge or a
soft brush.
- For your safety, you should replace the
wiper blades once or twice a year. See
your authorized Aud i dealer for replace
ment blades.
(D Note
- The w iper blades may only be changed
r=;, page 61 in the service position! Other
wise, you r isk damaging the paint on the
front lid o r the windsh ield wiper motor .
- To prevent damage to the wiper system:
-Always loose n blades which a re fro zen
t o the windshield before operating
w ipers.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint
t hinne r, or o ther solven ts on o r near
t he wipe r blades .
- Do not attemp t to move the wipers by
hand.
{D) Tips
The front wiper b lades are different
lengths; the blade o n the dr ive r's side is
longer .
Mirrors
Automatically dimming inside mirror
The automatic dimming function can be
turned on and off if required .
Fig . 72 Inside rearv iew mirror: auto d imming on/off
button and ind icator lig ht
Disabling auto d imming
.,. Press button ® r=;, fig. 72 -the green indica
tor light @ goes out .
Activating /reactivating auto dimming
.,. Press button @¢ fig. 72 -the green indica-
tor light @ goes on .
Automatic dimming function
The automatic dimming function is act ivated
every time the ign it ion is turned on . T he g reen
indica tor light is lit to indicate auto d imming
is active.
When dimming is act ivated, the inside m irror
will darken
automatically i n response to the
amount of light st riking the mirro r (such as
headlig hts from rearward approaching vehi
cles). Even in dimming mode, the mirror sur
face turns bright when:
- t he in terior lig ht is swi tched on
- reverse gear is engaged.
Senso rs for automatic headlight s
With the help of the sensors in the mirror,
when the light switc h is in the
AUTO posit ion,
the low beams are switched on and off auto matically depending on the amb ient light con-
ditions. ..,.
234 Index
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Fue l ra nge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Fuses Assig nment ................. .... . 223
Replacing ............... ...... .. . 223
G
Garage door opener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Genera to r
Warn ing/ indicato r ligh t .. .. .. .. .... .. 17
Glossary of t ire and load ing te rm ino logy 190
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Gross Veh icle Weight Ra ting (GVWR) ... 226
H
Headlig ht
D efect ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5
H eadlig ht flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Headlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68, 102
Ad justing ........................ 102
Heated Outside mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Rear window defogger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Seats .. .. .. ... .... ...... ... ... .. .. 76
Washer jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heating . .... .. . .......... .. .. .... .. 72
H igh beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5, 58
War ning/indicato r lights ... .. .. .... .. 16
H igh voltage wa rn ing la bel ....... .... 226
Hill hold assist
Starting on hills .......... .... .... .. 80
H ome link ® .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 95
H orn ... .. .. ... .... ...... ... ... .. .. . 8
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 124
H ow often s houl d I check my t ire pres-
sures? .... .. ... ... .... ... .. .. .... . 195
H ow safety belt pretensioners work . ... 115
H ydroplaning . .. . ...... ... .. .. .... . 199
I
Ignition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Immobilizer .... .... ...... ... ... .. .. 1 2
Important things to do before driving . . . 99 Improperly worn sa
fety belts . . . . . . . . . . 11 4
Ind icator lig ht
Airbag system ................ .... 1 28
Cl ut ch overheat ing ............. .. .. . 36
C onvertib le top ................... . 16
No reve rse gear .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 35
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F ..... ... . .. 128
Se lector lever defective . ..... ... .. .. . 35
In dic ator lights ...................... 14
Re d symbo ls in the ce nte r display . . . . . . 30
Ye llow symbo ls in the center display . .. 30
Infant seats ....................... 143
Installing child safety seats
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Instrument clus ter and con trols ... .. .. . 10
Instr ument panel ill umination ...... .. . 56
Instr uments and controls
Genera l illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Interior ligh ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
L uggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Intermittent wiping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
J
Jump-start ing . ... . ... ... .... ... .. .. 219
K
Key ................................ 37
Battery replacement ........... ..... 38
Emergency key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
K ey replacemen t ................. .. 37
Remote maste r key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
K ick-down
R tronic ....... .. ................. . 87
K nee a irbags . ..... ... .. ..... ... .. .. 132
Desc ription .... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. 132
How they wor k ... ... .. ..... .... . .. 134
Important sa fety instructions ........ 134
L
Lap timer
Delet ing total resu lts . ... .... ... .. .. . 28
Display ing split time ................ 27
Ending timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Eva luating times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Interrupting timing ................. 27
Introduction ... .. .. ... ....... ... .. . 26