2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER display

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>

52 Clear vis ion
Interior lights
Interior lights
The interior lights include the reading lights
for the driver and the front passenger .
-
,-i.-,-,n--;)
"' "' "' 0
•
Fi g. 63 Section from headliner: I nterior l ights
Acti vating door contact circuit
• Press the button @. The LED in the button
i lluminates.
Deactivating door c ontact circu it
• Press the button @. The LED in the button
goes out .
Front re ad ing lights ~
• Press one of the switches @ to turn the
right or left reading light on/off.
With the door contact circuit, the interior lights turn on as soon as you unlock the vehi­
cle or open the doors. The interior lights are
also turned on when the ignition key is re­ moved. The lights turn off about 30 seconds
after the doors are closed . When the vehicle is
locked or when the ignit io n is tu rned on, the
inte rior lights a re turned off.
When a door is open, the interior lights are
turned off after about 10 m inutes to prevent
battery drain ing.
The brightness of the lights is controlled au­
tomatically by a dimmer when they are
switched on/off .
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted .
Fig . 6 4 Instrument pa nel illuminat ion
You reg ulate the brightness of t he instr u­
ments with the left thumbwheel
c;~-~ fig . 64 .
A phototransisto r integrated into the instru­
ment cluster controls the illumina tion of the
need les in it. When the lights are switched on,
the lighting for the center conso le and the in­
struments (needles and dials) is automatically
adjusted to ambient conditions . The driver can
also adjust the brightness of the lighting.
Ignition ON, light switch at @
With the ign ition sw itched O N, the g low of in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON, light switch at ;oo : or ~D.
With the lights switched o n, the br ightness of
instrumen t cluster ( i.e . need les, ga uges and
displays) and cen ter conso le illum inat ion can
be adjusted.
(D Note
The instrumen t cluster and cen ter conso le
ill umin ation (gauges and nee dles) comes
o n when yo u sw itch on the ignit io n and the
veh icle headlights are off . Be aware of the
fo llowing difference between models bui lt
to US or Canadian specifications:
- USA models: illumination of the instru­
ment cl uster (gauges and need les), dash
and center conso le around the gearshift .,.

-If you switch off the ignition w ith the
windshield wiper lever still in the inter­
val w ipe pos ition and then come back a
while later and drive off , the rain sensor
will reactivate itself after the vehicle
speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h) .
Service position
It is only possible to change wiper blades if
you move the wiper arms to the service posi­
tion .
In order to use the windshield wipers, the
front lid must be comp letely closed.
Mo ving w ipe r blade s to the service
position
.. When there is a r isk of frost, make s ure that
the wiper blades are no t frozen to the wind­
shield .
.. Switch the ignition on .
.. Move the w iper leve r to position
0
c::> page 53, fig. 66 .
.. Press the I RESE T I button unt il the Display
type
menu appears in the Driver Informa­
tion System display.
.. Using the rocker switc h and the
!R ESE T I but­
ton, select the
Set > Wiper s > Front > Serv ­
i ce posit io n on
function . The windsh ield
wiper arms move to the service pos ition.
Moving w ipe r blade s to park po siti on
.. Make certain that the w ipe r arms are ly ing
against the w indshie ld .
.. Switch the ignition on and move the wiper
lever from position
O to 4 c::> page 53 ,
fig.
66. The wiper arms will move back to
t h e park pos ition .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle when the wind­
shie ld w iper arms are in the service pos i­
tion and pulled away from the windshie ld.
When you dr ive faster than
4 mp h (6 km/
h), the w iper arms automat ica lly re turn to
t he par k position and could ca use pa int
damage to the front lid! Clear
vi
sion 55
@ Tips
- Yo u can also turn on t he service posit ion,
for example, if yo u want to protect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover.
- Th e service posit ion moves to
off a uto­
matically when you operate the wind­
shield wiper lever, or speed exceeds
4 mph (6 km/h).
Replacing front wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear.
.-- --------..
Fig. 67 Unl atching w ipe r blade s
'
@
Fig. 6 8 Remov ing w iper b lades
Removing the wiper blade
.. Move the wipers to the service pos ition
c::> pageSS .
.. Fold the w indshie ld w iper arm away from
the glass .
0
i ,:. .., m
.. On the upper end of the wiper arm at the
corr uga tion, squeeze the p lastic ret ainer to­
gethe r on both s ides in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig. 67.
.. Rotate the wiper b lade in the d irect ion of
the arrow @
c::> fig. 68 away from the wiper
arm .
.. Lift the wiper b lade off in the direction of
t he arrow @.

(D Note
Liquid electrolyte leaking from broken mir­
ror glass will damage any plastic surfaces
it comes in contact with. Clean up spilled
electrolyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
-Switching off the dimming function of
the inside rear view mirror also deacti­
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exterior mirrors .
- The automatic dimming mirrors do not
dim when the interior lighting is turned
on or the reverse gear is selected .
- Automatic dimming for the mirror only
operates properly if the sun shade* for
the rear window is not in use or the light
striking the inside mirror is not hindered
by other objects.
Exterior mirrors
N
"' ~ N
~
Fig. 70 Forwa rd sect ion of driver 's a rmr est: power mir­
ror co ntrols
Turn the knob to the desired position :
Q/ P -In this position , you can adjust the
driver's and front passenger's exterior mirrors
by turning the knob in the desired direction.
(jjjl - The mirrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature.
8 -The exterior mirrors fold in*.
You ar e well-advised to fold* the exterior mir­
ro rs in maneuve ring in tight spa ces or when
leaving the car pa rked close to other vehicles . Clear vision 5
7
(D Note
-Curved (i.e. convex) mirror surfaces in­
crease your field of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
smaller and farther away than when
seen in a flat mirror . If you use this mir­
ror to estimate distances of following ve­
hicles when changing lanes, you could
estimate incorrectly and cause an acci­
dent .
- If the mirror housing is moved uninten­
tionally (for example, while parking your
vehicle), then you must first fold the mir­
ror electrically. Do not readjust the mir­
ror housing manually. You could damage
the motor which controls the mirror.
(D Tips
If there should be a malfunction in the
electrical system, you can still adjust the
exterior mirrors by pressing the edge of
the mirror.
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
The direction is displayed on the interior rear­
view mirror .
Fig. 71 Inside re arv iew mirror : digital compa ss a ctivat­
ed
.. To activate or deactivate, hold the @but­
ton down until the red display appears or
disappears .
The digital compass only works with the igni­
tion turned on . The directions are displayed as
initials:
N (North) , NE (Northeast), E (East), II>

58 Clear vis ion
SE (Southeast), S (South), SW (Southwest),
W (West), NW (Northwest).
(D Tips
To avo id ina ccurate directions, do not a l­
low any remote controls, electrical sys ­
tems, or metal parts close to t he mirror .
Setting the magnetic deflection zone
The correct magnetic deflection zone must be
set in order to display the directions correctly.
Fig . 72 Magne tic deflection zone boundaries
.. Hold the @button ~ page 57, fig . 71 down
until the number of the set magnetic deflec­
tion zone appears on the interior rear view
mirror .
.. Adjust the magnetic deflection zone by re­
peatedly pressing on the @button . The set
mode automatically deactivates after a few
seconds.
Calibrating the compass
The compass has to be recalibrated if the dis­
play is wrong or inaccurate .
.. Hold the@ button down until the letter C
is displayed on the inte rior rearv iew mirro r. ..
Drive in a circle at a speed o f abo ut 5 mph
(10 km/h) until a direction is shown on the
interior rearview mirror .
_& WARNING
--
The digital compass is to be used as a di­
rectional aid only. Even though you may
want to look at it while you are driving, you
must st ill pay atte ntion to traffic, road a nd
weather conditions as well as othe r possi­
b le hazards.

Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
App lies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine.
T he manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears . Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de­
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
- Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you sh ift
into Reverse w ith the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 86 Gearshift pattern : 6 -speed manual tran smi s­
sio n
Drive in 6th gear for optim um fuel economy
when cruising . However, if more acceleration
is required (when passing, for example), shift
down.
Transmission 77
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it backward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi­
cle completely, sh ift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever br iefly in Neutra l before shift ing in­
to
Reverse .
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with VlO eng ine and manual t ra ns·
miss ion
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 button
Im one time. The ESC indicator light 1B in the
Driver Informat ion System display illumi­
nates and the message
ESP sport - Warn­
ing! Restricted stability
appears.
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator pedal all the way
down until the engine speed remains steady
at 6500 RPM .
• Release the clutch carefu lly <=> .& ..
A WARNING
- Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and
traffic conditions allow it and other dr iv­
ers will not be endangered or annoyed by
your driving and the vehicle's accelera­
tion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESC is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you sho uld
sw itch the ESC back on by pressing the
button
[fil .

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

Rear vi ew camer a coverage area
The rearview camera shows you the a rea be­
hind your vehicle in the navigation system dis­
p lay. This area roughly corresponds to the
area in¢
fig . 92 and (!) ¢fig. 93 . Orientation
lines and colored surfaces are projected in the
area shown, which can help you with parking
and maneuvering. Objects that are located in
an area that is not captured by the camera @
¢
fig. 93 and that are closer to the bumper
will not appear on the nav igation system dis ­
p lay.
We recommend that you practice park ing with
the rearview camera in a traffic-free location
or pa rking lot to become familiar w ith the sys­
tem, the o rientation l ines, and their function.
There should be sufficient light and good
weather conditions when doing so.
I n the nav igat io n system disp lay, objects or
veh icles appear closer or fu rther away if:
Objects or vehicles appear closer or farther
away in the navigation system if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
slope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward pro-
truding objects.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces dimin ishes if:
- the rearview camera does not provide a reli­ able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
cond itions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion .
Caring f or the re arvi ew cam era len s
The rearview camera is located i n the center
of the vehicle above the rear license plate bra cket. In o rder for the rearview camera to
f u nction properly, the came ra lens must be
kept clean and free of snow and ice .
- Dampen the lens with a househo ld alcoho l­
based glass cleane r, and clean the lens with
a dry cloth.
Par king system 83
- Remove snow with a hand br ush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray ¢(D .
A WARNING
-The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsib le for parking and similar driving
maneuvers.
- Sensors have blind spots in wh ich objects
can not be detected. Pay spec ia l attent ion
to small children and an imals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
sur ro undings, us ing the rearv iew mirro r
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted from traffic by the rearv iew camera pic­
tures in the navigat ion system display.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end collision, do not conti nue
to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by an au thori zed A ud i
dea ler or other q ualified workshop .
(D Note
-Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
wa rni ng can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are app roached
and wi ll not continue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as barrier chains, trailer d raw
bars, narrow painted vertica l poles or
fences may not be detected by the sys­ tem, posing risk of damage.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove snow or ice from the rearv iew camera
lens because the lens could crack.
- Never use products that are abrasive when clean ing the lens.
-