2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER warning light

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.

62 Seats and storage
- Never use the cupho lder or adapter as an
ashtray- risk of f ire.
CD Note
On ly drink containe rs with lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liquid could spill
out and damage your vehicle's e lectronic
equ ipment or sta in the upholstery, etc.
Ashtray
Fig . 76 Center console: ashtray
The asht ray is inserted in the cupholder.
Opening the ashtray
.,. Fold the cover upward .
Emptying the ashtray
.,. Lift the closed ashtray up o ut o f the cu­
pholder.
A WARNING
Never put waste paper in the ashtray. Hot
ashes or other hot objects in the ashtray
could set waste paper on fire.
Cigarette Lighter/
socket
N
-"' 0 ..:. ... m
The c igarette lig hte r or socket only wo rk with
the ign ition on.
Using the cigarette lighter
.,. Slide the cover open to reach th e cigarette
lighter
qpage 62.
.,. Push the knob in.
.,. Wait un til the c igarette lighte r knob pops
out. .,.
Remove the cigarette lighter immediately
and use it.
.,. Reinsert cigarette lighter into the socket af ­
ter use.
Connecting an appliance
.,. Slide the cover open to reach the c igarette
lighter .
.,. Remove cigarette lighter .
.,. Plug in appliance to be used.
T he socket of the c igarette lighter may be
u sed for 12-volt appliances with maximum
consumption of up to 100 watts, such as a
flash light, small vacuum cleaner, etc.
A WARNING
--Improper use of the c igarette lig hter can
cause serious injury or start a fire .
- Be careful when using the c igarette light­
er. If you do not pay attention to what
you are doing when you are us ing t he cig­
arette lighter you can burn yo urself.
CD Note
-To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Only use the cigarette lighter socket as a
powe r source for e lectr ica l accessories
for short durations . Use t he sockets in
the vehicle when a power source is need­ ed for longer du rat ions .
(0 Tips
-When the eng ine is off and accessories
are st ill plugged in and are on, t he vehi­
cle battery can still be d ra in ed.
- The ve hicle battery must not be charged
w ith a standard small charger that pl ugs
into the cigarette lighter or outlet .
Storage
, General
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instr u­
men t pa nel. A ny items not put away
-

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. ..,_

an authorized Audi dealer when there is an
operating prob lem.
Using the climate controls economically
Economical use of the climate controls helps
to save fuel.
When climate con trol is wor king in cool ing
mode, engine performance is red uced and
fuel consumption is affected. To keep the time
the air conditioning is on as short as possib le,
you shou ld do the fo llow ing:
.,. If you wo uld like to save f uel, sw itch the air
conditioning off .
.. If you open the windows whi le driving,
switch the air conditioning off.
.,. If the vehicle is extremely hot due to the
heat of the sun, briefly open doors and win­
dows.
@ For the sake of the environment
When you save fuel, you reduce em iss ions
from the vehicle.
Rear window defogger
The rear window defogger clears the rear win­
dow of condensation .
.. Press the Iii button <=> page 65, fig. 79 to
turn the rear window defogger on and off.
The rear window defogger wor ks only when
the eng ine is r unning. The indicator light in
the button illuminates when the rear window
defogger is turned on.
The rear window defogger is switched off au ­
tomatically after approx . 10 minutes .
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the rear window is clear, yo u
should switc h the rea r window de fogger
off . The reduced power consumption has a
beneficial effect on f uel consumption.
Warm and c old 69
Heated seats
Applies to vehicles: with heated seats
The seat cushion and the seatback of the
front seats can be heated electrically.
.. Press the heated seats button I-J + I
<=> page 65, fig . 79 to set the leve l of heating
desired.
The range of cont ro ls goes from 1 to 3. The
heat setting selected is shown by LEDs above
the button.
A WARNING
--=
Indiv iduals wit h reduced sens itiv ity to pa in
or temperature could deve lop burns when
using the seat heat ing funct ion. To reduce
the r isk of injury, these ind ividuals should
not use seat heating.
@ Note
To avoid damage to the heat ing e lements
i n the seats, do not kneel on the seats or
place heavy loads o n a small area of the
seat.

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.