2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER brake light

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assis­
tance if necessary.
@ Tips
The brake light switch is only inspected as
pa rt of the functional check after the en ­
gine is started.
@ Light/rain sensor defective
Applies to vehicles: with automatic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem.
If the symbol illum inates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons, the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU­
TO. However, you can continue to turn the
lights 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 available .
H ave the light/ra in sensor checked as soon as
possible at an author ized Audi dealer.
; Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The indicator light E ill uminates when the ig­
nition is switched on as
a function check.
(D Tips
If the ind icator lamp illuminates while you
are driving, there is a malfunct ion in the
veh icle damping. The chass is should be in­
spected immediately by an authorized Au­
di dealer.
-:;J. Rear spoiler
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electrically retractable rear spoiler .
The warning/indicator light Ii! has the follow­
ing functions:
-It comes on for about 3 seconds as a func­
t ion check when the ignition is switched on.
- It comes on if there is a ma lfunction in the
electrically retractable rear spoiler . Additional
information about the electr ica lly
retractable rear spoiler
r:;, page 144.
,.YI F{ Selector lever defective
Applies to vehicles : with R tronic
g Ii] Selector lever defective! No reverse
gear!
If the symbols are i lluminated, there is a mal­
function in the R tronic selector lever . These­
l ector lever d isp lays go out or flash. It is not
poss ible to engage reverse gear. If you have
been shifting the transm iss ion manually, it
switches to automat ic operation.
You can continue to shift the transmission manually. From the neutral position N, en­
gage first gear by tapp ing the shift button
0
o n the steering wheel. Then the transmission
remains in manual operat ion and you can se­
lect the gears using the s hift buttons.
Have the selector lever checked as soon as
poss ible at an authorized Aud i dealer or other
qualified workshop .
i~Jf Clutch is overheating
Applies to vehicles:
ffl O Clutch: Overheating possible. See own­
er's manual.
If the symbols are i llum inated, the clutch is
ove rheating and could be damaged if you con­
tinue to drive.
Stop your vehicle and allow the engine to run
at idle for several m inutes . This w ill cool the
clutch.
0 Gearbox malfunction
App lies to vehicles: wit h R tro nic
In the event of a system malfunction, R tronic
switches to emergency ope rat ion mode.
[O) Gearbox malfunction! You can continue
driving
You can continue to drive the vehicle. See an authorized Aud i dealer or other qualified
workshop at the next opportun ity . ..,.

could slide around inside the vehicle
wh ile driving or when accelerating or
when applying the brakes or when driv­
ing around a corner .
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other 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.
F ig . 77 G love compar tmen t
To op en glove compa rtm ent
... Pull the hand le ¢ fig . 77 in the direction of
the arrow, push down lid to the fully open
position.
To close glove compartm ent
.., Push the glove compartment lid upward un-
t il the lock engages.
The glove compartment light comes on as the parking or dr iving lights are sw itched on and
the compartment is opened . Yo u will find a
g lasses case in the lid .
The glove compartment has a standard 12-
volt socket for con necting e lectrica l accesso­
ries. The powe r consumpt ion at the outlet
must not exceed 100 watts. The socket works
on ly with the ignition switched on .
Sea ts a nd s to rage 63
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an
accident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartment closed while driving.
Storage compartment in the front seats
Applies to vehicles: with 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 out.
Closing
... Push the drawer in completely until it latch­
es.
(!) Tips
The maximum carrying capacity 2 .2 lbs.
(1 kg).
Storage compartments between the
seat backrests
The storage compartments are illuminated
and can be locked with the vehicle key.
F ig . 78 Storage compar tm ents betw een th e sea t
back rests
The CD changer* or the Audi Music Interface*
are located in the lower storage compart ­
ment .
Opening the upper storage compartment
... Fold the lid upward in the direction of the
arrow @¢
fig. 78. ..,_

Ignition on @
Afte r switch ing the ignition on, the needles
move all the way up and then down .
I f it is difficult to turn the key afte r you have
i nse rted it into the ignit ion lo ck, tur n the
steer ing whee l back and forth. This will take
the load off the steering lock mechanism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and start the engine .
Starting the engin e@
In th is position the engine starts. While the
engine is start ing, the power s upply to the
headlights and other e lectrica l consumers is
temporari ly interrupted to conserve battery
pow er. Aft er the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position@. The
non -repe at lock prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
- If you have to leave your veh icle -even
for just a m in ute - always remove the ig­
nition key and take it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave c hildren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld start the engine or use
other vehicle controls . Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
jur ies .
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect­
ed and then reconnected, then you m ust
leave the key in pos ition @for abo ut 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
On th e ro ad 71
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig­
inal Audi key.
On vehicles with R tronic *, the engine can be
start ed in the ne utra l position N and in each
gea r (1 - 6 and R).
.. Set the park ing brake ¢,&. .
.. On vehicles with man ua l transmission *,
fu lly depress the clutch pedal.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Turn the ignition key to pos it ion ®
¢ page 70, fig. 82 - do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine .
.. Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts - the sta rter must not cont inue to
r u n. On ve hicles w ith R t ro ni c, selec t gea r
posi tion N .
A cold engine may at first be loud afte r it has
been sta rted. This is due to the hydraulic
valves bu ild ing up the oil press ure . Thi s is nor­
mal and no need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
tryi ng after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine abou t 30 seconds later.
A WARNING
- Never start or let the eng ine run in a con­
fined or enclosed area . Exha ust fumes
from the engine contain carbon monox­
ide, a co lor less and odorless gas. Carbon
mo nox ide ca n be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine idling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle with a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft .
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the veh icle w ith
the foot brake .
(D Note
- Avoid h igh engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. This could damage the
eng ine .

7 2 On the road
-The eng ine cann ot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@ For the sake of the env ironment
To avo id unnecessary engine wea r and to
red uce exhaust emissions, do not let your
vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to
drive off immediately after starting 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 ign ition key to position ©
¢ page 70, fig. 82.
A WARNING
-Never turn off the eng ine unti l 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 stee ring or braking.
S ince you cannot steer and stop no rma l­
ly, this can lead t o acciden ts and ser io us
injuries.
- If the engine has bee n under heavy load
fo r an ext ended period of time, heat
builds up i n the engi ne compa rtme nt 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
sho rt time or drive until it has cooled
down before you turn it off¢
page 151.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended pe riod of time, it can be­
come extreme ly hot. You should not park
your vehicle over easily combustible ob­
j ects o r areas (e.g. g rass or leaves). There
i s a r isk of start ing a f ire.
(D Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even with the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant tempe rature rises
as the result of heat b uild up or if the en­
g ine compartment is heated by the sun 's
r ays and the eng ine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally .
Fig. 83 Center console: Pa rk in g brake set
Setting the parking brake
.,. Pull the parking brake lever a ll the way up.
Releasing the park ing brake
.,. Pull the pa rking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
¢ fig . 83 -arrow- .
.,. Keep the release button pressed and lower
the parking brake¢&_.
If you s hou ld drive off with the parking b rake
st ill set, a warning tone will sound and the
following message wi ll appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Parking brake is applied
T he p arking brake war ning comes on only af­
ter yo u have dr iven for longer than 3 seconds
and faster than 3 mph (5 km/h) . .,.

The parking brake warning light_
(USA)/ . (CON) ill uminates when the parking
brake is set and you switch on the ignition .
A WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com­
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce the ir ef­
fectiveness and cause excess ive wear. This
cou ld lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the ve hicle has come to com­
plete stop, should you f irm ly set the park­
ing brake and move the gearsh ift lever into
a gear .
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling
away, there are a few things you should do.
.,. Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
.,. Set the parking brake firmly .
.,. Switc h off the engine .
" Engage a gear
~ &.-
What else you should do when parking
your v ehicle on an incline or decline
T u rn the steering wheel so that if the vehicle
should sta rt to ro ll, it will roll into the curb .
A WARNING
This is how yo u can reduce the risk of in­
jury when le aving your veh icle.
- Never par k the vehicle whe re it ca n come
in contac t wi th dry grass, s pilled f uel or
any other flammable mater ials .
- Neve r allow anyone - especially small
ch ildren - to rem ain in the vehicle whe n
it is locked. Locked doors ma ke it mo re
difficult for rescuers to access the pas ­
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave c hildren unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children co uld re lease the park­
ing brake or move the gea rshift lever out
-
On th e ro ad 73
of gear . The vehicle cou ld sta rt to ro ll
away and cause an acc ident.
- No matte r what the season is, the tem­
peratu re in a parked veh icle can reach
dangerous leve ls .
Starting on hills
App lies to vehicles : wit h hill ho ld assist
Hill ho ld assist makes it eas ier to start on
hills .
The system is activated when the brake peda l
is depressed
for a few seconds .
After releasing the brake pedal, the brake
power is held for a
brief moment to prevent
the ve hicle from rolling back when starting .
D uring this t ime, you can easily begin to move
your vehicle.
A WARNING
- If you did not begin moving immed iate ly
after rel easing the brake pedal, the vehi­
cle could b eg in to roll bac kward unde r
cer ta in c ircu mstances . Dep ress the brake
pe dal imme diate ly or eng age the p arking
bra ke.
- If the engine sta lls, de pre ss the bra ke
pe dal imme diate ly or engage the pa rking
brake .
- T o prevent the vehicle from ro lling b ack
un intent iona lly when st arting in stop ­
an d-go tra ffic, keep the brake pedal de ­
pressed for a few seconds before d riving
off.
(D Tips
You can find o ut if yo ur vehicle is eq uipped
wi th "hi ll hol d assist" at an a uthorized Au ­
di dealer.

7 4 On the road
Cruise control
Introduction
The cruise control system keeps the speed
constant.
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed over 20 mph (US
model) or 30 km/h (Canadian model) . This is
true only to the extent that engine power or
engine braking effect allow . Using the system
takes the strain off the "gas pedal foot" - es­
pecially on long trips.
In the control mode, the indicator light in the
instrument cluster is lit
aijj(1)~1~ (US model);II
(Canadian model).
The cruise control system automatically
switches itself off immediately under the fol­
lowing conditions:
- Pressing the brake pedal.
- Pressing the clutch pedal.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control system is switched on.
You are always responsible for your speed and the distance between your ve­
hicle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control sys­
tem should not be used in the city, in
stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads
and when road conditions are poor (such
as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident.
- Turn off the cruise control system tem­
porarily when entering turn lanes, high­
way exit lanes or in construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control system not to brake.
This is because the cruise control system
is overridden by the driver's acceleration.
(D Note
On manual transmission vehicles: If you
shift into neutral with the cruise control system switched on, always depress the
clutch
pedal! Otherwise the engine will
race and could be damaged as a result.
(D Tips
When driving on steep downward grades,
the cruise control system cannot keep the
speed constant. The vehicle's own weight increases the speed. Shift into a lower gear
in plenty of time or brake the vehicle with
the foot brake.
Saving the speed
The desired speed must be saved.
®-
Fig. 84 Cruise control system cont rols
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set.
.,. Pull the lever to position@¢
fig. 84 to
switch the system on.
.,. Briefly press button @.
After the button @is released, the current ve­
hicle speed is stored and maintained,
i. e. you
are driving in control mode .
Changing speed
The desired speed can be changed.
Faster
.,. Press lever up towards the 0 ¢ page 7 4,
fig . 84 .
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed .
Slower
.. Press lever down towards the O ¢ page 74,
fig . 84.
.,. Release the lever to store the current speed. IJ,,,

78 Transmission
@ Tips
-When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
increased wear.
- The Launch Control Program only func­ tions when the parking brake is released
and the vehicle speed is less than 3 mph
(5 km/h).
R tronic
Description
Applies to vehicles: with R tro nic
Fig. 87 Shi ft pattern
Fig. 88 Disp lay: Gea rs engaged
R tronic is an automated manual transmission
in which the function of the clutch and shift­
ing is controlled by an electron ic system .
The gears are engaged manually, sim ilarly to
a manual transmission . The gears can also be
shifted automatically . The engine can be
started and switched off in all gears.
The selected mode of operation, the gear en­
gaged and the sport function are shown in the
Driver Information System display
Q fig . 88 .
M -Manual operation
In this operat ing mode, you shift the forward
gears using the selector lever
Q fig. 87 or the
shift paddles on the mu ltifunction steering
whee l
Q page 81.
A - Automatic operation
In this opera ting mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load
and vehicle speed
Q page 80.
R -Reverse gear
Reverse gear must only be engaged when the
vehicle is
stationary and the eng ine is running
at idle speed
¢ ,&. .
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal,
move the selector lever to the
right and tip it to wards R . In reverse gear, the
backup lights illuminate when the ignit ion is
on .
N -Neutral
To engage neutral, you have to move these­
lector lever to the left or to the right.
If re­
verse gear is engaged,
move the selector lever
to the left.
If a forward gear is engaged , move
the selector lever to the right.
Sport function
The sport function is sw itched on by pressing
the
I SPOR T I button. The engine's power re­
serves can be used fully by upshifts later. Shift
time is decreased and accelerator pedal re­
sponse is improved. In addition, in manual op­
eration the engine does
not shift automatica l­
ly into the next gear before it has reached the
maximum permissible engine speed. In auto­
matic operation, upsh ifting cont inues auto­
matically.
A WARNING
-- If a gear is engaged when the vehicle is
stationary, the accelerato r must not be
p ressed inadvertently under any circum­
stances. Otherwise the vehicle w ill im­
mediately star t to
move -sometimes

80 Transmi ssion
(0 Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place w ith the foot brake to
prevent it from roll ing back. Never hold
the vehicle on an incline w ith a slipping
clutch. The clutch was overloaded if
Clutch
overheat ing! If possib le pl ea se st op ve hi­
cle appears in the Driver Information Sys­
t em disp lay.
Automatic operation
Ap plies to ve hicles : wit h R tro nic
The forward gears are shifted up or down au­
tomatically.
Startin g from a stop
11-Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
11-Tap the se lector lever towards A .
... Re lease the brake pedal and acce lerate
¢ ,& in Manual operation on page 79 .
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficia l
to switch tempo rarily to the manual shift pro­
g ram ¢
page 79in order to adjust th e gear ra­
tios to driv ing cond itions
manually.
Kick-down
A ppl ies to vehicles : wit h R tro nic
When you depress the accelera to r pedal be­
yond the resistance po int, R tron ic downsh ifts
into a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed
and engine rpm. The ups hift into the next
h igher gear takes place once the max imum
specified engine speed is reached. Exception:
You have activated the sport funct ion .
A WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if kick-down is used on a smooth slippery
road -there is a risk of skidding.
Launch Control Program
App lies to veh icles : w it h R tro nic
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
... With the engine running, press the
I!! but ­
ton one time. The ESC ind icator light
I in
the Driver Information System d isplay illu­
m inates and the message
ESP sport - Warn ­
ing! R estr icted stability
appears .
... Press the b rake pedal w it h your l eft foot
and hold i t down.
11-Eng age a gear.
11-Press the I SPORT I button on the selector
lever cover .
... Press the accelerator peda l wit h your right
foot sim ultaneously until the engine has
reached a constant speed .
... Remove your left foot from the brake¢,& .
A WARNING ,-
-Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic
f low.
- Onl y use Launch Control when road and
traffic cond itions allow it and ot her dr iv­
ers will not be endange red o r annoyed by
your driving and the vehicle's ac celera­
t ion .
- Please note that t he d riving wheels ca n
sp in and the vehicle can br eak away
when ESC is swi tched off, especially
when the roa d is s lippery.
- Once the s tarting procedure is comple te,
you sho uld sw itch ESC on again by press ­
i n g the
I!] switch.
(D Tips
When a ccele rat ing using the Lau nch Con­
t rol program, all vehicle parts are s ubje ct
to heavy loads . This can result in increase d
wear .
-