2011 AUDI R8 SPYDER towing

2 Table of contents Vehicle literature ............. .
About this Owner's Manual ...
Controls and equipment .. ... .
Cockpit ................... ... . .
General illustrat ion .............. .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ............... .
Instruments . .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Warning/indicator lights ... .. ... .. .
Driver information system .. .
Introduction . .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Service interval disp lay ........ .. . .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) .. .
Trip computer ................... .
Menu display ................... .
Lap timer .. .................. .. .
Speed warning system .......... .. .
5
6
8
8
8
10
10
14
20
20
21
21
22
24
26
28
Warnings and symbols . . . . . . . . . . . .
30
Opening and closing ......... .
Keys .. ........................ .
Pow er locking system ............ .
Front lid ... ................ ... . .
Anti -theft alarm system ... .. .. ... .
Power windows .......... .. .. ... .
Convertible top .............. .
Convertible top ........ .. .. .. ... .
Wind deflector ......... .. .. .. ... .
Rear window .................... .
Convertible top emergency operation .
Clear vision .. ........ .. .. .. ... .
Lights ... ................. .. ... .
Inter ior lights ................... .
V1s1on .... ................... .. .
Wiper and washer system ...... .. . .
Mir rors .. .. ... .. ..... ......... . .
Digital compass ................. .
Seats and storage ..... .. .. .. . .
37
37
39
42
43
44
46
46
48
48
49
55
55
58
59
59
62
64
66
General recomme ndation s . . . . . . . . . 66
Po wer seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Cup
holder .... .. ... .......... .. .
Ashtray ... .... .. .. ........... .. .
Cigarette lighter/socket ........... .
68
69
69
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70
Warm and cold .. ........... .. .
Climate controls .. ............... .
Rear window defogger ............ .
Heated seats .... ............... .
On the road ... .............. . .
Steering ....................... .
Ig nition lock and ign ition sw itch .... .
Starting the engine .............. .
Stopping the engine .... .... .... . .
Parking brake ................... .
Crui se control ................. .. .
Audi magnet ic rid e . ............ .. .
Manual transmission ........ .
Launch Control Prog ram ...... .. .. .
Automated manual
transmission ................. .
Description .... .. .. ........... .. .
Manual operation ... ........... .. .
Automatic operation ........... .. .
K ick-down ..... ............... .. .
La un ch Control Program .......... .
Steering wheel with sh ift paddles ... .
Parking system ............. .. .
Parking system advanced ......... .
Homelink® ................... .
72
72
76
76
77
77
77
78
79
79
81
82
84
84
85
85
86
87
87 87
87
89
89
95
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Proper occupant seating positions . . .
100
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 103
Stowing luggage ................. 104
Reporting Safety Defects. . . . . . . . . . . 105
Active rollover protection system . . . . 107

Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Ill ustrating the princ iple of an
accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
H ow are safety belts worn correctly? 112
Safety belt pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 115
Airbag system ........ .... ... .. 117
Important th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 117
F ront airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
M oni toring the Advanced Airbag
Sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Knee air bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Child Safety ............. .. .. . .
Important things to know . ... .. .. . .
C hild safety seats . ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Instal ling a child safety seat . ... .. . .
Addit ional Information ........... .
Vehicle operat ion ..... .. .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
Not ice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules .......... .... .. . .
Electronic Stabilization Program ( ESP)
Rear spoiler .................... .
Braking .. .. .. ... ....... .... ... . .
P owe r stee ring .................. .
Driving w ith your qu attro ® ... .. .. . .
E ne rgy management ... ... .. .. .. . .
D ry s ump lubr ication ... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving and environment .... .
Break -in period . .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Driving through water on roads ... . .
Cata lytic converter ............ .. . .
Sporty driving . ........... .. .. .. . .
Operation and maintenance .. .. .. . .
Trailer towing ................... .
Vehicle care .................. .
Cleaning and protection ..... .
General information ...... .. .. .. . . 138
13
8
143
1 4 6
149
150
150
150
150
152
153
154
155
1 5 5
157
158 158
158
158
159
159 160
161
161
16 1
Ca re of exte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1
Ca re of inter io r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Table of contents 3
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .
170
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Checking and filling ..... ... .. .
Engine compartment lid .......... .
Engine oil ... .. .. .. . ............ .
E n gine cooling system ............ .
Brake fluid .. .. .. .. . .. .... ...... .
Battery ......... .. ............. .
Rep lacing the battery ............ .
Windsh ie ld washer container
Tires and wheels ... ..... ... .. .
175
175
178
181
184
184
18 7
188
189
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
T ire pressure mo nitoring system
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .............. .
Operating your veh icle outs ide the
U .S .A . or Canada ... . .. .. ..... ... .
A udi Se rvice Repair Manuals and
Literature . .. .. .. .... ........... .
Maintenance . .. .. .. ............. .
Additional accessories, modif ications
and parts rep lacement ........... .
Decla rat io n of Compliance,
T elecommunication or Electron ic
Systems .. .. .. .. .. ............. .
Do-it-yourself service ........ .
What do I do now? ........... .
Tru nk escape handle ........... .. .
B reakdown kit ... .. . .. ... .... ... .
Tire repa ir ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
What shou ld I be awa re of when
h . t
' ? c anging a ,re. . . ............... .
Jump-starting .. ...... ........... .
Emergency towing with commercial
tow truck ....... .. ............. .
Fuses and bulbs .............. .
Electr ica l fuses .... .............. .
Bu lbs ... .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ...... . 206
209
2
09
209
209
209
211
2 12
213
213
2 13
213
213
216
219
222
223
223
224
•
•

46 Convertible top
Convertible top
Convertible top
General information
The fabric convertible top opens and closes
automatically. When it is open, it is stored in
the convertible top storage bay. The converti­
ble top may be opened or closed at speeds up
to 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The convertible top is wind- and waterproof
under normal conditions . Some moisture may
collect in the vehicle interior , but only under
extremely adverse weather conditions such as
torrential rain. That is normal and no cause
for concern.
Follow the cleaning and maintenance instruc­
tions
~ page 163 to ensure the convertible
top remains wind- and waterproof. Also note
the following points:
- Only stow the convertible top when it is
clean and dry . Grains of sand or coarse dirt
particles can cause abrasions on the conver­
tible top when stowed that can lead to dam­
age to the fabric over time. Stowing the con­
vertible top when it is damp can cause
marks or permanent mildew spots to form .
- Do not leave the convertible top open for
several weeks or the creases in it may be ­
come discolored . This is especially true if the
top was stowed when damp .
- Remove ice and snow before opening the
convertible top . Do not use any sharp edged
objects to remove ice and snow or the con­
vertible top could be scratched or damaged.
The rear window may be cleared with a
standard ice scraper.
- The fabric in the convertible top loses elas­
ticity in sub-zero temperatures. We recom­
mend not opening or closing the convertible
top when the temperature is below 32 °F (0 QC). The convertible top will not open
when the temperature is 5 °F (-15 QC) or be­
low.
Opening and closing the convertible top
Fig. 43 Center co nsole : convertible top sw itc h
Requirement: the front lid must be closed and
the ignition must be switched on.
Opening the convertible top
.. Pull and hold the convertib le top switch un­
til the top is stowed in the bay and the cover
on the bay has closed completely.
Opening the convertible top using the
one-touch function
.. Pull the switch briefly to open the converti­
ble top completely . It is not necessary to
hold the switch. The one-touch function is
only available at speeds between 4 and
31 mph (6 and SO km/h) .
Closing the convertible top
.. Press and hold the switch until the converti-
ble top is closed and the latch is locked.
The indicator light
Min the instrument clus ­
ter goes out when the top is completely open
or closed.
The side windows automatical ly lower slightly
during the opening/closing process.
A WARNING ~
- Never drive when the convertible top is
not locked correctly. The wind generated
by driving could cause itto open, which
could injure vehicle occupants or damage
the vehicle.
- Make sure no one will be injured by the
convertible top supports and other mov­ ing objects on the vehicle when opening
and clos ing the top .
liJI,

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.

-The engine c annot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
To avo id u nnecessary engine wea r and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to
drive off immediately after start ing your
veh icle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicles with R tronic*, the engine can be
turned off in the neutral position N and in
each gear (1 -6 and R).
.. Turn the ignition key to position@
¢page 77, fig. 85.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and servotronic on ly
work when the engine is running. With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or braking.
S ince you cannot steer and stop norma l­
ly, this can lead to accidents and ser ious
injuries.
(D Note
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat
builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the eng ine is sw itched off -there is a
risk of damaging the engine . Allow the
engine to continue to run at idle for a
short time or drive until it has cooled
down before you turn it off¢
page 159 .
-If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, it can be­
come extreme ly hot. You should not park
your vehicle over eas ily combustible ob­
jects or areas (e .g. grass or leaves). There
i s a risk of start ing a fire.
On th e road 7 9
@ Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even wit h the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant temperatu re rises
as the result of heat bu ildup or if the en­
gine compartment is heated by the s un's
r ays and the engine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally .
Fig. 86 Ce nter console: Pa rk ing b rake set
Set ting the parking brake
.. Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing th e park ing bra ke
.. Pull the parking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
¢ fig. 86 ·arrow· .
.. Keep the re lease button pressed and lower
the parking brake¢,&..
If you shou ld drive off with the parking brake
still set, a warning tone will sound and the
follow ing message wi ll appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Parking bra ke is appl ied
T he parking brake warning comes on only af­
ter you have driven for longer than 3 seconds
and faster than 3 mph (5 km/h). ..,.

104 Driving Safel y
Pedal area
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
• Make sure that all pedals move freely w ith­
out interference.
• Make sure that noth ing prevents all pedals
from returning to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area
free and can be secured w ith floor mat fasten­
e rs .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop .
A WARNING ,_
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the r is k
of serious injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object could get into the
peda l area and interfere w ith pedal func ­
tion . In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you would not be able to brake or
accelerate!
-Always make sure that nothing can fa ll
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
• Make sure that the f loor mats are proper ly
secured and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals
q .&_ .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position. You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­ ized Audi dealer .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move free ly can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of ser ious personal injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls or the ab ility to control the
veh icle.
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings on top of al ready instal­
led floor mats. Add itiona l floor mats and
other coverings will red uce the size of
the peda l area and interfere w ith the
pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the driver footwell while the ve­
h icle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­ erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
Loose items in the luggage compa rtment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
charac teristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missi les that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.

154 Intelligent technology
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving position . Do not
ride the brakes or hold the pedal down
too long or too often. This could cause
the brakes to get hot and diminish brak­ ing efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Cautiously apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few cau­
tious brake applications .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
braking capability, resulting in increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehi­
cle and have it towed to the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Power steering
When the engine is running , power steering
makes i t easier for the driver to steer.
Power steering helps the driver steer the vehi­
cle with little physical effort.
If the engine is not running, the power steer­
ing system is also not working . In this case ,
you will find it extremely difficult to turn the
steering wheel.
If you turn the steering fully to the left or
right when the vehicle is stationary, you place
a very heavy load on the power steering sys­
tem. Turning the steering wheel fully to the left or right will cause noise in the system. It
also reduces engine idle speed.
(D Note
Do not hold the steering turned fully to
the left or right for more than 10 seconds
when the engine is running . There is a risk
of damage to the power steering system .
(D Tips
-In the event of a power steering system
failure, or if the engine is not running
(while being towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle. However, you will re­
quire more effort to do so .
- If the power steering system has a leak
or is defective, you should immediately
contact a qualified workshop .
- The power steering system requires a
special hydraulic fluid. The power steer­
ing fluid reservoir is located in the en­
gine compartment. The correct hydraulic
fluid level is important for proper opera­
tion of the power steering system. The
power steering fluid level is checked ac­
cording to the Audi maintenance service
schedule.

160 Driving and en vi ro nment
recommendations in your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet . Lack of proper
maintenance as well as improper use of
the veh icle w ill impair the funct ion of
the emission control system and could
l ead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Em ission Contro l System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, wh ich are designed to protect
you r vehicle's Emiss ion Control System
and othe r important veh icle compo­
nen ts.
(D Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as publish ed
by the ENVIRONM EN TAL PRO TECTIO N
AG ENCY ( EPA) and Transpor t Canada may
no t correspond to yo ur actua l cons ump­
tion on the road, which will vary depend ­
ing upon vehicle load and speed, road and
weather conditions, trip length, etc.
Trailer towing
Your Audi RB is not designed to tow a trailer.
Towing a trai le r with yo ur Audi R8 is not rec­
ommended and ca n cause damage to the vehi­
cle . Damage caused by towing a tra iler is not
covered under warranty .