2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER engine

14 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Dr ive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake ap­ plicat ion.
- Canada models: If both, the brake warn­
ing light . and the ABS warning light
Ii] come on at the same t ime, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident. Have you r vehicle repaired im­
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a q ualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake application
- If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake re leased, or lights up while
you are driving, the fluid level in the brake flu id reservo ir is too low. If you be­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
med iately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer o r qualified work­
shop and have the bra ke system inspect­
ed.
- Always keep in m ind that afte r several
brake applicat ions, yo u will need g reater
pressure on the b rake peda l to s top your
vehicle. Do no t re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond with maxim um stopping power
in critical situations . You must allow for
increased brak ing distances. The extra
distance used up by fad ing brakes could
lead to an acc ident.
~ / ! .!r Safety systems
The I (USA models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in­
d icator light monitors the safety systems e.g.
a ir bags, pretensioners a nd illum inates for a
few seconds each time you switc h the ign ition
on.
If the
I (USA models)/ . (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates w hile you are driv ing, or if it sta rts to
b link , then there is a ma lf u nction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illuminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a ma lfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
i mmediately. Othe rwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acc i­
dent.
4 Safety belt warning light
App lies to veh icles : w ith safe ty belt warni ng l ig h t
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts .
The warning lig ht . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignition is sw itched on as a re ­
minder to fasten you r safety belt .
Additional informat ion on safety belts
r::> page 101.
D Generator '
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light i llum inates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
whi le you are driving, you sho uld contact your
authorized Aud i dea le r. Since the vehicle bat­
tery is discharging, you shou ld sw itch
off any
unnecessary electr ica l consumers (for exam ­
ple, the air conditioner) .
~ Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbo l appears in the d isplay and
flashes, the o il pressure is too low . In add ition
to the symbol, the following message a lso ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pre ssure is too low
.. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
.. Shut the engine down.
.. Check the engine oil leve l¢
page 174.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
~ Cont act your a uth orized Audi dea ler fo r as -
s istance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If th e e ngine o il level is too low, to p off o il to
the prope r leve l
¢page 174 .
Engine oil level OK
If th e . symbol sta rts flas hing again even
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
d ipst ick ,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
In stea d, con­
t a ct your author ized A udi de aler for assis­
tance.
@ Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev ­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals , preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
1/1 requires oil refill or workshop serv ­
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning symbol.
starts to flash before you respond to
the low oil level warning
Ill. By then,
your engine may already have suffered
serious damage.
-L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in th e engine cooling system
must b e re paired as so on as possibl e.
W hen th e . symbol in t he d isp lay flashes,
the n either the eng in e coolan t
temperature is
too h igh, or the coo lant
le vel is too low . In ad­
d ition to the symbol, the fo llowing message
al so a ppe ars i n the dis pla y:
Switch off engin e and check coolant level
~ Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
~ Turn off t he e ngine.
~ Check coo lant level c> page 176.
~ Add coolant if necessa ry¢ page 177 .
~ Contin ue dr iving only after the eng ine cool­
an t war ning/ indica to r li ght goes o ut.
~ Contact yo ur autho rized A udi d eale r for as -
sistance if necessa ry .
If the engi ne coo lant level is correct, then t he
r adi ator fan may be the ca use of the mal func ­
tion .
If the ge nera tor war ning/ indica to r li ght
sho uld al so illum ina te
¢ page 14 , then the
f an bel t may be d amaged .
A WARNING
-If you r vehicle should brea k dow n for
mec hanical or other reaso ns, par k at a
safe distance fr om moving traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and tu rn on the haza rd
warn ing lig hts ¢
page SO , Emergency
flash er.
-
- Never ope n the eng ine co mpartment lid
if y ou see or hea r steam o r co olant es­
cap ing from t he eng in e compar tment -
you ris k being sca lded . Wait until you can
no lon ger see o r hear steam o r coolant
esc ap ing .
- Th e engi ne co mpartm ent of a ny vehicle
i s a dange rous are a. B efo re you perf orm
an y w ork in t he engi ne c om par tm ent,
t ur n off the eng ine an d allow it to coo l.
F ollow t he war ning stickers
c> page 169,
W orking in the engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not con tinue dr iv in g if the . symbol
ill umina tes . The re is a mal func tion in the
engine c oo ling system -you could dama ge
your engine .
~ Convertible top operation
The indicator light tu rns or, f!4
-When the converti ble to p opens or closes or
- If t he conver tible to p d id no t open o r close
comp letely.
T he in dica tor light blinks if the co nvertib le top
can not open or close ¢
page 41.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
loss of vehicle control and an accident.
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your authorized Aud i dealer or a quali­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard brake applications.
- Canada models: If the brake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS wa rning light
rii] come on together,
the rear wheels could lock up first unde r
hard bra king. Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applicat ions.
(0 ) Worn brake pads
r;J Check b rak e pads!
If the warning light illum inates, immediately
contact your authorized A udi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. On USA models the warning light
r;J
comes on together with the war ning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
A WARNING
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a coll i­
sion and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
r;J and the warning
light -
1l with the message Brake
p ad s!
comes on in the i nstr ument cluster
display, immedia tely contact your au­
tho rized Audi dea le r or qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warn ing/ indica to r light ( Elect ronic
P ower Control) illumina tes when you swi tch
on the ignition as a function check.
1) - : USA mod els only
-
(D Tips
If this warn ing/indicator light illuminates
while yo u are driving, then there is a mal­
funct ion in the engine electronics. Have
the malfunct ion corrected as soon as pos­
s ible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop .
~ Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is pa rt
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
T he symbo l
lffl ligh ts up when the ignit ion is
turned on and will turn off after the eng ine
has started and has settled at constant id le
speed. This indicates that the MIL is working
proper ly.
T he warning light ill uminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your authorized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunct ion corrected.
An improperl y clo sed fu el filler cap ma y als o
c a use the MIL light to illuminate
¢ page 166 .
For more information ¢page 22.
!?') Engine speed limitation
Ma ximum 6000 RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
6000 RPM. This protects the engine from
overheating .
The eng ine speed limitation
(ll deactivates
once the eng ine is no longe r in the cr itica l
temperature range and yo u have re leased the
acce le rator pedal once.
(D Tips
When co ld, the engine speed is limited to
6000 RPM (w ith the
VlO engine) or
7000 R PM (with the VB engine) to protect
the engine. The limit is deactivated once
the oil temperature rises above 140 °F

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
(60 °C) and the engine is at operating tem­
perature .
~. Checking the engine oil level
II! Please add max. 1 qt of engine oil!
If the 1\1 symbo l comes on, add 1 quart (1 li ­
ter) of oil at the next opportunity
¢page 174.
'.!:'.::: ... Engine oil sensor defective
If the II symbol illuminates, contact your
author ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor
inspected.
t:::J Battery voltage low
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ab ility.
If th is message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop
correct the malfunction.
Bu Fuel supply too low
When the II] symbol illuminates, this means
there are about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fuel l eft in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
¢page 165.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
Tank sys­
tem malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears in the display, the re is a fault in the
system. Contact a qualified workshop to have
the fau lt rectified .
,;;, Windshield washer fluid level too low
If the I! symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer f luid to the washer system
¢ page 182.
~ 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~ sym­
bol w ith a message appears in the display to
te ll you which bulb is burnt out and where it is
lo cated. For example :
Rear left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears. If
you want to recall the message into the dis­ play, press the CHECK button¢
page 8, fig. 3
®·
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appear in the display:
- The light bu lb has burnt out
¢page 214.
-The fuse is "blown"¢ page 213, Replacing
fuses .
-The wire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective.
Have the bulb replaced or the connection re­
paired by your authorized Aud i Service depart­
ment .
A WARNING
-
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
p lod e while they are being changed ca us­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-vo ltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps. Failing to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT!<®> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fail-
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
$fl (Canada models) can appear. The follow­
ing electrical components should be checked,
repaired or replaced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All wir ing connections
- Brake light switch

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 . ..,.

Driver information
system
Introduction
The Driver information display inside the in­
strument cluster provides you, the driver,
with important information .
Fig. 6 Instrument cl uster: ce nte r display
Fig. 7 Wiper lever: controls fo r the menu d isplay
Center display
W ith the ignition on, the display in the Dr iver
I nforma tion System shows the fo llow ing in­
formation :
- CD inserted or Radio station set
- Outs ide temperature: At temperatures be-
low 41
°F (+S 0 (), a snowflake symbol ap­
pears in front of the temperatu re display
c:> &_ .
-Wa rning when a door, the engine compa rt-
me nt lid or the trun k lid is not closed.
Additional functions
You can ope n the following functions i n the
Driver Information System display by p ressing
the
! RESET I button ¢ fig. 7 one or more times:
T rip computer
¢ page 23
Digital speedometer
Dr iver in formation system 21
Gear indicato r
Lap timer
Menu display
c:>page27
<=>page25
The speed warning system is also displayed in
the Driver Information System. You can read how to set it in ¢
page 29 .
Auto Check Control
Some f unctions and vehicle components are
scanned for their operating stat us when yo u
switc h the ign ition on and whi le you are driv­
ing. Malfunctions or required service proce­
dures are s ignaled audib ly and ind icated by
red and yellow il luminated symbols and re­
minde rs in the disp lay.
_&. WARNING
-
- N ever re ly exclusively on the o utside
temperat ure display to determ ine i f a
road surfa ce is icy or not. Keep in mind
that road surfaces, espec ia lly bridges
and overpasses, co uld be ice covered and
slippery even at an outside temperature
above 41
°F (+5 °().
- Always remember, even if the "snow­
f lake" symbo l (ice warning) does not ap­
pea r in the d isp lay, black ice cou ld be on
the road.
- Always reduce your speed and drive with
special care in cold weathe r cond itions
when the chance of encountering icy
road surfaces inc reases.
@ Tips
- On vehicles with R tronic*, the rem inders
do not appea r in the disp lay until you se­
lect a gear.
- On vehicles with Audi Nav igat io n system,
the displays may d iffe r from their normal
appearance duri ng nav iga tion .

22 Driver in formation sy ste m
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due.
Fig. 8 Section of instr ume nt cluster : Service inte rva l
display
The schedule for the next oil change or inspec­
tion is calculated automatically and displayed
according ly. The display works in two stages :
Service rem inder
30 days before the next service is due, a serv­
ice reminder appears in the display when you
turn on the ignition.
After abo ut
S seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The d istance and time re­
maining are updated eac h time the ignition is
turned on until the date due for service is reached .
Service due
When the due date for service is re ached , the
message
S erv ice due! appears in the instru­
ment cluster immediately after you tu rn on
the ignition. Additionally, a warn ing tone
sounds . After about
S seconds the display
switches back to normal.
Calling up th e servic e schedule s
If or when an oil change or inspection is due,
can be shown in the instrument cluster by se­
l ecting the service interval display . Select
C heck > Service > Oil chang e or Service by us­
ing the
! R ESE T I button and the rocker switch
c;,page25, fig.12.
Re setting the ser vice in te rv al di spla y
Your authorized A udi dealer w ill reset the cor­
responding service sched ule after perform ing the appropr
iate service on your veh icle. You
also have the possibi lity to reset the oil
change schedule after hav ing performed an
o il change according to Aud i specif ications.
- Switch the ignition on.
- Pull the knob
¢ fig . 8 . The message . Service
due!
appears .
- Pull the knob until the display
Oi l change in
----- mi ( km)·-- day s
appears. If the I RESET I
button is not pu lled w ithin 5 seconds, the
disp lay reset mode closes .
(D Note
If you disconnect t he battery term inals, no
ca lcula tions can be made for the service
i nterval disp lay during th is time and no
service reminder will appear. Remember
that observing the proper service intervals
i s vitally important to extending the life of
your vehicle, pa rticularly the engine, and
maintain ing its value . Eve n if the mileage
drive n is low, t he maximum period of one
year from one servi ce to the next m ust no t
be exceeded.
(D Tips
- Do not reset the display b etwee n oil
changes, othe rwise the disp lay w ill be in­
correc t.
- The information in the Service Reminder
remains stored eve n when t he vehi cle
ba ttery is disconnec ted.
On-Board Diagnostic
system (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL )
The Ma lf u nction Indi cato r Lamp ( MIL) II is
part of the On- Board Diagnostic (OBD II) sys ­
tem.
T he wa rni ng lig ht illuminates when the re is a
malfunction in the engine elect ro ni c system .
A mal func tion may have va rious causes :
- The f uel f iller cap may be improperly closed
c;, page 166. ..,.

-There is a leak in the fuel vapo r recovery sys ­
tem .
- The eng ine control receives faulty vehicle
roadspeed signa ls.
Contact your nea rest au thori zed A udi dealer
for assis tance .
If the light illuminates , the catalyt ic converte r
could be damaged . Continue driving
with re·
du ced power
(avo id ing susta ined high speeds
a nd/or rap id acce lerations) and have the con­
d ition correc ted .
An improp erly closed fuel fi ller cap may also
cause the MIL li ght to i llum ina te
q page 166.
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 9 Loc atio n of Data Link Co nnec to r (DLC )
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the compo­
nents of your emission co ntrol system . Each
monitored component in your eng in e system
has been assigned a code. I n case of a mal­
fun ction, the component will be ide ntified
and the fau lt stored as a code in t he con tro l
mod ule memory .
I n o rder to make an a ccurate d iagnos is, the
stored d ata ca n only be di splayed using spe ­
cial diagnos tic eq uipment (gener ic s can tool
for OBD).
I n o rder to connect the special diagnosti c
eq uip ment, push the p lug into t he Data Link
Connector (D LC). The DLC is lo cated to the
righ t of the engine compartment lid release
q fig . 9 .
Your auth ori zed A udi dealer or a q ualified
service st ation can in terp ret the code and per ­
form the necessa ry repair.
Dr iver in formation system 23
A WARNING
Do not use t he d iagnost ic connector for
pe rsonal use. Inco rrect usage can cause
malfunctions, wh ich can increase th e risk
of a co llision!
Trip computer
Introduction
The trip computer gives you information on
current and average fuel mileage , average
spe ed, fuel range and driving time.
Fi g. 10 Tri p co mpute r 1
You can switch between the trip computer 1
and 2 by pressing the
! R ES ET I button @
qpage 24, fig . 11 .
You can te ll wh ich memory leve l is currently
active by the number in t he disp lay ¢
fig. 10 .
The data from the s ingle-trip memory (memo­
ry level 1) is being disp layed if a
1 appears in
the d isplay . If a
2 is shown, then the data
from the to tal -tr ip memo ry is being displayed
(memory level 2).
Single-trip memory (Trip computer 1)
The single-trip memory stores the tr ip infor ­
mation from the time the ig nitio n is turned on
u nt il it is turned off .
If the trip is cont inued
within 2 hours fr om the time the ignition was
turned off, the new data will be in cl ud ed in
the calculat io n of the current tr ip in forma­
tion . If the trip is interr upted fo r
more than 2
hours
the memory is reset automatically. .,..