2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER ESP

34 Openin g and clo sing
electronic immobilizer is automatica lly acti­
vated once again.
I f an unauthorized key was used , SA FE is d is­
p layed con tinuously in the odometer disp lay
field.
A WARNING
-
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle. The key can disarm the
electronic engine immobilizer and permit
an unauthor ized person to start the engine
and enable operation of the vehicle sys­
tems such as power window leading to se­ r ious personal in jury .
(D Tips
-The vehicle cannot be started if an unau­
thorized key is used . The vehicle may not
start if another radio device such as a key
for another vehicle or a transponder is l ocated on the key ring.
- For Declarat ion of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regu la­
tions
~page 222.
Power locking system
General description
The power locking system locks or unlocks all
doors simultaneously.
When opening and closing the doors, the power locking system locks or unlocks
both
doors together.
The remote mas ter key locks and un locks the
doors using a radio signal
~ page 35.
Locking and unl ocking w ith the key
You can also lock and unlock your vehicle us­
ing the key in the lock o n the dr iver's door.
The unlocking and lock ing mode can be
changed in the Driver Informat ion System
~ page 25.
Both doors are locked automatically when the
vehi cle is locked and the ant i-theft alarm sys ­
tem is act ivated.
Auto Loc k
The Auto Lock function locks a ll doors once
speed has exceeded approximately 9 mph (15
km/h).
T he car is unlocked automat ica lly once the ig ­
nition key is removed . In add ition, the vehicle
can be un locked if the power locking system
opening function
(l;;i) is activated or one of the
door levers is used .
Turn signals
All the tu rn s ignals flash to indicate when the
vehicle is locked and unloc ked. The t urn sig­
nals flash twice when the vehicle is unlocked.
T he turn signa ls flash once when all the doors
and the front lid are locked. The interior lights
are also switched on or off automatica lly ac­
cord ing to the position of the door contact
switch .
A WARNING "---
-When you lock your vehicle from outside,
nobody -espec ially children -shou ld re­
main inside the vehicle. Remember,
when yo u lock the vehicle from the out­
side the windows cannot be opened from
the inside .
- When you leave the veh icle, always re ­
move the ignition key and take it with
you. This will prevent passengers (chil­ dren, for example) from accidentally be­ing locked in the vehicle should they acci­
dentally press the power locking switch
in one of the doors.
- Do not leave ch ildren inside the vehicle
unsuperv ised. In an emergency it would
be imposs ible to open the doors from
the outside without the key.
(D Tips
- The driver's door can be locked and un­
locked with the key if the power locking
system fails . The passenger's door can
be locked manually~
page 36 .

Power windows
Controls
The driver can operate all windows.
Fig . 38 Driver's doo r: powe r w in dow switc hes
Fi g. 3 9 Passenge r's door: powe r w in dow sw itc h
~
"' C) N ... a,
The power window sw itches have a two-posi­
tion function :
Opening the windows
~ Press the switch and hold it down until the
window has reached the des ired pos ition .
~ Press the switch briefly to open the w indow
automat ica lly.
~ By briefly pressing/pu lling the swi tch again,
the downw ard trave l o f the w indow can be
stopped in any position¢.&_ .
Closing the windows
~ Pull the switch and hold it until the window
has reached the desired posit ion.
~ P ull t he swi tch briefly to close the w indow
a utomati cally.
~ By briefly pressing/pulling the swi tch again,
the upward travel of the wi ndow can be
stopped in any position ~.&_ .
Opening and clo sin g 39
A WARNING
-Do not leave c hildren unattended in the
veh icle, especially with access to vehicle
keys. Unsupervis ed use of the keys can
resu lt in s tarting of th e engine a nd use
of vehicle systems su ch as power w in­
dow s, etc. w hich could res ult in se rio us
in ju ry.
- Remember -you can still ope n or close
t he powe r window s for about te n mi­
nutes after the ign ition is swi tched off.
O nl y when eit her of the fro nt doors are
opened are the power windows switched
off.
- Be ca reful whe n clos ing the w indows.
Chec k to see that no one is in the way, or
serio us injury cou ld resu lt!
- Always remove the ign ition key wheneve r
you leave your veh icle.
- If you loc k your vehicle from t he outside,
no one, espec ia lly childre n, should re­
main in the ve hicle.
- Do not st ick anything on t he windows or
the windshield that may inter fere w ith
the dr iver 's field of vision.
(D Tips
- W he n the doo rs a re o pened , th e win ­
dows are automatically lowere d 0.4 in
(10 mm).
Reactivating the system after battery
disconnection
If the vehicle battery is disconnected and
then reconnected, the automatic closing and
opening function will not work until it is reac­
tivated .
~ Pull and hold the power window sw itch un­
til the w indow is comp lete ly closed .
~ Release the sw itch and pull it again for one
second .

40 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
b le top may be opened or closed at speeds up
to 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The convertible top is wind- and wate rproof
under normal conditions . Some moisture may
collect in the vehicle interio r, b ut only under
extreme ly adverse weather conditions such as
torrential rain . That is normal and no cause
for concern.
Follow the cleaning and maintenance instruc­
tions ~
page 156 to ensure the convertible
top remains wind- and waterproof. Also note
the following points:
- Only stow the convertib le 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
vertib le 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 especia lly 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
vertib le top could be scratched or damaged.
T he rear window may be cleared with a
standard ice scraper.
- T he fabric in the convertible top loses elas­
t icity in sub-zero temperatures. We recom­
mend not opening or closing the convertib le
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/closing the convertible top
Fig. 40 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 convertible 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 50 km/h) .
Closing the convertible top
.. Press and hold the switch until the converti-
ble top is closed and the latch is locked.
T he indicator light
M! in the instrument clus ­
ter goes out when the top is completely open
or closed.
The side w indows automa tica lly lower slightly
during the opening/closing process.
A WARNING ~
- Never drive when the convertible top is
not locked correctly . The wind generated
by driving cou ld cause it to 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 open ing
and clos ing the top .

50 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 rema in 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.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described .
@ 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 l ight­
ing system .
Emergency flasher
Fig. 61 Center console: em erge ncy flasher sw itc h
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situa tion.
... Press the switch ~
Q fig. 61 to switch the
emergency flasher on or off .
ll>

lever is controlled by a light sensor locat­
ed in the instrument panel. The instru­
ment pane l illumination will a utomat i­
cally become dimmer as the daylight
fades away and eventually will go o ut
completely when outside light is ve ry
low. T his is to rem ind you, the drive r, to
switch on the headlights before it gets
too dark.
- Canada models: instrument panel i llum i­
nat io n w ill stay b right regard less of the
i n tens ity of amb ien t lig ht. Always be
aware o f ch anges in outside light con di­
tions wh ile you are driving. Resp ond in
time to fading daylight by t urning the
l ight sw itch to position
io (or "A UTO" if
your car is equ ipped with this feature) to
turn on your headlights.
Luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the
luggage compartment .
These lights come on automatica lly when the
front lid is opened. The lig hts turn off auto­
mat ica lly if the lid is left open for more then
10 minutes.
Sun visors
CJ
C • -·-·--·,
~
-----____ ,,_
~ --·----"­-------.. ----
~ ---- s;i~~~j
.---~~·-·oiiiiiii------------1
Fig. 6 5 Sun v isor
The vanity mir rors in the sun v isors are eq uip­
ped with covers.
Clear vi sion 5 3
Wiper and washer
system
Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
Fi g. 6 6 W iper leve r
The w indshield wiper lever¢ fig. 66 has the
follow ing pos itions:
Intermittent wiping 'Pl (activating rain
sen sor)
.,. Move the lever up to position (D .
.,. Move the switch @ to set the duration of
the wipe intervals or to adjust the sensitivity
of the light/rain sensor .
Low wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to pos ition @.
One-touch wiping
.,. Move the lever to positio n @, when you
want to wipe the windsh ield
briefly .
Automatic wip er/ washer
.,. Pull the lever to position ® (toward the
steering whee l) and hold .
.,. Release the lever. The washer system stops
and the wipers continue to operate for
about 4 seconds. Different numbers of wipe
cycles are pe rformed depending on how
long t he leve r is he ld.
Turning off the w ipe rs
.,. Move the lever back to position @.

54 Clear vis ion
Moving w ip er blade s to th e service
po sit ion
.. Do not lift the wiper arms away from the
glass when they are in their parked position;
this would damage the paint on the front
lid .
.. When there is a risk of frost, make sure t hat
the wiper blades are not frozen to the wind­ shield .
.. Move wipe r blades to the service pos it ion
¢page 55.
The windshield wipers and washer on ly work
when the ignition is turned on.
To reduce the sensit iv ity of the sensor, move
switch @down . To increase the sens itiv ity,
move the switch up. The higher you adjust the
sens itivity, the faste r th e sensor will react
when i t senses moisture on the w indshield.
The pauses between w iper t urns depend not
only on the sensitivity setting, but on the ve ­
hicle speed as well.
Du ring a temporary stop, e.g . at a t raff ic sig­
na l, the set wipe r speed is automatically re­
duced by one stage.
When the igni tion is tu rned on, the washer
jets are heated.
_& WARNING
- Wipe r blades a re cruc ial for safe driving!
Only when they are in good condition are
they able to clear the windows properly
to provide uncompromising visibility.
Worn or damaged wiper blades are a safety hazard ¢
page 55, Replacing
front wiper blades!
- The light/ra in sensor is only des igned to
assist and support the dr iver .
It remains
entirely the driver 's responsibility to
mon itor outs ide weather conditions and
to manually activate the w ipers as soon
as rain o r dri zz le red uces visibi lity
thro ugh the windshie ld.
- T he windshie ld must not be treated with
water-repe llent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when the s
un is low on the horizon . In addi­
tion, they can cause the w indshield w ip­
ers to chatter .
(D Note
In freezing or near freezing conditions:
- Always check that the wiper blades are
not frozen to the g lass before you turn
the wipers on . Loosen a wiper blade
which is frozen in place before operating
the wipers to prevent damage to the
w iper blade or the wiper motor.
- Do not use the w ipers to clear a frosted
window. Us ing the wipers as a conven­
ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
blades .
- Before you take your veh icle to an auto­
matic car wash, make sure you have the
w indshield w iper system switched off
(lever in position 0), otherwise the w ind­
shield w iper system could get damaged
in the car wash if it should suddenly
come on .
(D Tips
-The windshie ld w ipers are switched off
when the ignit ion is turned off. Act ivate
t he winds hield wipers after the ignition
is switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wipe r blades
cause smearing, which can affect the op­
eration of the light/rain sensor . Check
the cond ition of your windsh ield wiper
blades regularly.
- When the wipers are switched on man­
ually and in ra in cond itions, the auto­
matic headlights turn on¢
page 49 or
off during the day when the wipers are
no longer operating . The automat ic
head lights fu nction is avai lab le in this
case on ly w hen the light switch is in the
"A UTO" posit ion¢
page 49, fig. 60.
- Make su re the washer fluid reservoir is
t opped off before goi ng on a long tr ip.
Look up ¢
page 182 for checking and
filling the washe r container .

56 Clear vis ion
In stall ing t he wiper blade
.,. Place the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the w iper arm in the
op pos ite direc­
tion to the arrow @
c:::> fig. 68 .
.,. Squeeze the corrugation on the wiper until
you hear it click in the wiper arm .
.,. Fold the wiper arm back onto the wind­
shield .
.,. Switch the ignition on and move the wiper
lever down briefly
c:::> page 53, fig . 66 . The
wipe r will move back to the park position.
_& WARNING
- Clean yo ur wiper blades regularly w ith a
windshield washer solution to prevent
streaking. If the wiper 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
c:::> page 55 in the service position! Other­
wise, you r isk damaging the paint on the
front lid or the windsh ield wiper motor .
- To prevent damage to the wiper system:
-Always loosen blades which a re fro zen
to the windshield before operating
w ipers.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, paint
t hinner, or o ther solvents on or near
the wipe r blades .
- Do not attempt to move the wipers by
hand.
{D) Tips
The front wiper blades are different
lengths; the blade o n the dr ive r's side is
longer.
Mirrors
Dimming the mirrors
Fig . 69 Auto matic dimming rearview m irro r
.,. To dim the rearview mirror and both exteri­
or m irrors, press the@ button . The diode
@ turns on. The rearview and exterior mir­
rors dim automatically when light shines on
them, for example from headlights on ave­
h icle to the rear .
_& WARNING
-
Elec tro lyte fluid can lea k from automatic
dimming mirrors i f the glass is b roken.
Electro lyte fluid can irritate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to e lec­
trolyte can cause i rr itation to the respira­
tory system , especially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­
tions. Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possib le,
open w indows and doors all the way .
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flus h
them thoroughly with large amou nts
of
clean water for at least 15 minutes;
medical attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean wate r fo r at least 15
minutes and then wash affe cted area
wit h soap and wate r; medical attention
is recommended. Thoro ughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse .
- If swallowed and person is consc ious,
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.

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 adjusting 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 properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 109.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 130, 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 f loor 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 inflates 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 a t
Seat s an d sto rage 59
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 airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you max imum prote c­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible be tween yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
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 push the peda ls to the
floor whi le keeping your knee sligh tly bent
c::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page
59 .
.,. 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.
.,. Pos it ion the head restraint accord ing to the
occupant 's height
c::> page 61 . For maxi­
mum protection, the top of the head re­
straint shou ld be at least at eye level, pref­
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 94, fig. 105 .
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 funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!