2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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 .

(D Note
To p reve nt damage t o the conve rtible top:
- do no t s tore any objects in the converti­
ble top storage bay .
- make sure there is enough space above
the veh icle when opening or closing the
convertible top.
@ Tips
- When the indica to r l amp iii blinks,
there is a system malfunc tion
c> page 15 .
-The one-touch openi ng fun ction is not
ava ilable when the vehicle is traveling
below 4 mph (6 km/h) or above 31 mph
(SO km/h).
If this is the case, a wa rning
tone w ill sound and a message will ap­
pear in the instrument cluster
c> page 41.
Error message in the instrument cluster
display
An error message appears if the convertible
top cannot open or close.
Severa l conditions must be met for the con­
ve rtible top to open or close automatically .
An error message in the inst rument cluste r
d isp lay ind icates if one of the condit ions is not
met or there is a malfunct ion.
Soft top: Please clo se engine lid!
The engine compa rtment lid must be closed
when opening or closing the convertible top .
T his message appears in the instrument clus­
ter d isp lay if the engine compartment lid is
not closed.
Soft top : Cannot be used!
This error message appears if the convertib le
cannot open or close because of safety rea ­
sons or if there is a malfunction . The follow­
ing causes are poss ible:
- The vehicle is t ra veling too fa st: Converti­
ble top operation is deactivated for safety
reasons if the vehicle is traveling too fast . A
message w ill appear . Reduce the vehicle
Con vertible top 41
speed and pu ll or press the sw itch again to
open or close the convertible top.
- The battery voltage i s too low: Th e conver ­
tible top cannot open or close if the battery
voltage is too low. This ens ures there will be
enough battery vo ltage left to start the ve­
hicle . The convertible top can be operated
aga in after the engi ne is started.
- Ove rload protect ion is acti ve: Operating the
convert ible top continuously for a long peri­
od of time p laces stress on the hydraulic
un it. Over load protect io n is act ivated to p re­
vent damage to the system . This protective
fu nction preve nts t he conver tible top from
open ing or close fo r approximate ly 15 to 30
m inu tes.
It will f unct io n a gain a fter tha t
c:::> &..
-Malfun ction : Failure of system components
is one possib le cause fo r malfunction. If this
happens, you can a lso operate the converti­
ble top by hand
c:> page 43 .
-The exterior temperature is too low: The
converti ble top will not o pen in tempera­
t u res below (S °F) (-15 QC).
Soft top not secure
If the conve rtib le to p is not complet ely open
or closed and the vehi cle is t raveling too fast,
the error message above appears and a warn ­
ing tone sounds. Reduce the vehicle speed
and pull or press the switch again to open or close t he convertible top.
A WARNING
N eve r drive when the c onvertible top is not
locked correctly . The wind from driving
could cause the co nvertib le top to open.
T his ca n resu lt in i nju ries and damage to
the vehicle.

42 Convertible top
Wind deflector
The wind deflector reduces turbulence in the
passenger compartment and makes driving
more comfortable.
Fig. 41 Installing the wind deflector
Fig. 42 Luggage compartment: storing the wind de­
flector
The wind deflector is located in the luggage
compartment . Insta lling it from the side of
the vehicle that is farthest from traffic is rec­
ommended for safety reasons. Follow the in­
stallat ion instructions provided in the storage
bag.
Inst alling /removing the wind deflector
... To install the wind deflector, slide the re-
ta ining pin@into the mount @
¢fig. 41.
The w ind deflector is secure when it clicks
into place and the red marks on both but­
tons are no longer visible .
.,. To remove the wind deflector, press both
buttons © and pu ll the deflector upward.
Storing the wind deflector
.,. Slide the wind deflector into the storage
bag with the retaining pins facing down­
ward .
.,. Hang the storage bag on the retainers @ in
the luggage compartment ¢
fig. 42.
A WARNING
-
-Do not use the wind deflector to secure
cargo or other objects. Th is could resu lt
in injury.
- Be careful of traffic when installing the
wind deflector.
@ Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle paint, do
not lean on the vehicle when installing the
wind deflector. Objects such as belt buck­ les could scratch the surface of the paint.
@ Tips
-Keeping both side windows raised pro­
vides the best w ind protection.
- To prevent mildew, do not store the wind deflector when it is damp.
Rear window
Fig. 4 3 Rear w indow in win d deflecto r posit ion
Fig . 44 Sect io n of the cente r co nsole: conve rtible top
switch
The rear window can be extended slightly
when the convertible top is open to reduce air
movement inside the vehicle and increase
comfort. This is called the wind deflector posi-
t ion ¢
fig. 43. ..,_

The rear window can be extended comp lete ly
for cleaning. This is ca lled the cleaning posi­
tion.
E xte nding the re ar w indow into the wind
defl ector po siti on
~ Pu ll and hold the rear window switch
¢fig. 44.
~ Release the switch once the rear w indow
has reached the wind def lector posit ion.
E xte ndin g th e rear window into the
cleaning po sition
~ Pull and hold the rear window switch
¢ fig . 44.
~ Release the switch once the rear window
has reached the wind deflector posit ion .
~ Pull and hold the rear window switch again .
~ Pull and hold the conve rtible top switch
within one second
¢ page 40, fig . 40.
R etra cting the re ar window
~ Press and ho ld the rear window switch until
the window has been retracted .
Ret racting the re ar w indow u sing the one­
touch funct ion
~ Press the rear window switch briefly . There
is no need to hold the switch.
The rear w indow can on ly be operated when
t he ignition is switched on.
The rear window can also be extended or re­
tracted when the convertib le top is closed.
_&. WARNING
- Do not use the rear window to secure car­
go or other objects. This could result in
injury .
- Always pay attention and be careful
when extending or retracting the rear
window . It could cause injury by pinch­
ing .
@ Tips
-Keeping all of the w indows raised pro­
v ides the best wind protection.
Con vertible top 43
- The vehicle must be stationary to bring
the rear window into the cleaning posi­
t ion . The rear window will retract once
you begin dr iv ing.
Convertible top
emergency operation
General information
The convertible top can be closed by hand if
there is a malfunction .
First check if overload protection is active
~ page 41. If this is the case, the convertible
top w ill operate again after a short de lay . Oth­
erwise the following steps must be completed before closing the convertib le top:
~ Act ivate the park ing brake.
~ Open the side windows, if necessary.
~ Remove the key from the ignition.
Emergency loc king is not intended for long­
term use o r long drives . The convertib le top
will not be completely waterproof after using
the emergency locking procedure because the
seals will not be seated correctly. Only close
the convertible top manually in an emergency .
Please see an au thorized Audi R8 dealer to
have the cause of the malfunction corrected .
_&. WARNING
-The ignition must be sw itched off during
the entire closing procedure.
- When positioning the convertible top,
avoid contact with the supports or other
mov ing parts. Otherwise you could p inch
your hands.
- Never drive when the convert ible top is
not locked correctly. The wind from d riv­
ing could cause the convertible top to
open . This can resu lt in injuries and dam­
age to the vehicle.
@ Tips
Have a second person assist when closing
the convert ible top. Opening the storage
bay lid and positioning the conve rtible top
is easier when a second person is assisting.

44 Convertible top
Step 1: Retract the rear window
Fig. 45 Upper storage compa rtme nt: re mov ing the
cover
F ig. 46 Upper sto rage compartment: using the Allen
wrench as a crank to lower the rear win dow
M 0 N ... a,
... ... M 0
The rear window must be retracted in order to
close the convertible top. If the rear window
switch is not functioning¢
page 42, the rear
window can be cranked .
.. Open the upper storage compartment be­
tween the seat backrests ¢
page 63 .
.. Remove the cover using the screwdriver
from the vehicle tool kit¢
fig. 45.
• Press the Allen wrench from the veh icle tool
kit firmly into the opening until it clicks into
place ¢
fig. 46.
• Turn the bolt clockwise until the rea r w in­
dow is lowered .
Step 2: Release the pressure in the
hydraulic system
The pressure in the hydraulic system must be
re leased before the convertible top can be
closed.
.. Switch the ignition off.
.. Pu ll or press the convertible top switch
¢
page 40, fig. 40 for approximately 10 sec­
onds.
A WARNING
-
If convertib le top operat ion fa ils when
opening o r closing the top, do not hold or
touch the supports or other moving parts
when releasing the pressure. The converti­
ble top will sink down and could pinch your
hands.
Step 3 : Open the convertible top storage
bay lid
Fig. 47 E ng ine compartme nt: install ing the eme rgency
ope rat io n bolts
Fig. 48 Ra is ing t he sto rage bay lid and pulling it back
The engine compartment lid must be released
using the emergency procedure in order to re­
l ease the storage bay lid
¢page 171.
Releasing the convertible top storage bay
lid
.. Tur n the emergency operation bolts on the
left and right sides of the engine compart­
ment¢
fig. 47 clockw ise using the open end
wrench from the vehicle too l kit until t he
bolts are installed completely . The co nverti ­
ble top sto rage bay lid will raise app rox i­
mate ly 0,4 in (1 cm) from the vehicle when
t he bolts are install ed comp letely.
• Close the engine compartment lid
r=;, page 170.

Opening the convertible top storage bay
lid
• From th e rear of the vehicle, reach into the
center ventilation slot in the storage bay lid
with both hands and raise the lid approxi­
mately 12 in (30 cm).
"' Hold the storage bay lid in this position and
pull it toward you until it stops ¢
fig. 48 .
& WARNING
When working in the engine compart­
ment:
- Turn the engine off .
- Act ivate the parking brake.
-
-In veh icles with a manual transm ission,
move the shifter lever into idle. In vehi -
cles with the R tronic transmission, move
the selector lever into the N position.
- Remove the ignit ion key.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Keep children away from the engine com- partment .
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only
open the convertible top storage bay lid
when the engine compartment lid is
closed.
Step 4: Remove the covers
Fig. 49 Conve rtib le t op : cove rs ma rk e d
Convertible top 45
Fig . SO Co nver tible top sto rage bay lid: remov ing the
c ov er
The following steps must be performed on
both sides of the vehicle.
"' Remove the bolt in the cover on the bottom
side of the st orage bay lid using the open
end wrench from the vehicle tool kit@
¢fig. 50.
• Move the cover up and down carefully unt il
it can be pulled downward from the teeth
@ .
Step 5:
Lift the convertible top out
Fig. 51 Co nve rtible top s tora ge bay: liftin g th e co nver ­
tible top out
Fig. 52 Wind shi eld fra me: press ing the conve rti ble top
fo rward
"' Ho ld the conve rtible top at the@ point (ar-
row)
¢ fig. 51 and raise it carefully ¢_& . II--

46 Convertible top
• Pull the convertible top all the way out in
the direction indicated @. Position the fins
upward at the same time.
• Press the convertible top as far forward to­
ward the windshield frame as possible
r=> fig . 52 .
Have a second person assist when positioning
the convertible top. That person should stand
on the opposite side of the vehicle and per­
form the same steps .
A WARNING
-When positioning the convertible top,
avoid contact with the supports or other
moving parts. Otherwise you could pinch
your hands .
- When pressing the convertible top down
onto the windshield frame, make sure
that you do not pinch yourself or anyone
else.
Step 6: Secure the convertible top
-
Fig. 53 Conve rtible top sto rage bay: install ing the driv ­
er
Fig. 54 Securing the co nvertible top
The convertible top must be under tension to
secure it to the windshield frame . The wheel
wrench, driver and bolts from the vehicle tool kit are required for this. Have a second person assist with this step
.
That person should stand on the opposite side
of the vehicle and perform the same steps.
• Position the driver @ on the bolt @ in the
front section of the convertible top storage
bay and rotate clockwise to install in the
threads
r=> fig. 53.
• Position the wheel wrench © with the long
end on the driver@.
• Press the convertible top as far forward as
possible toward the windsh ield frame @
with one hand
c:> fig . 54. At the same time,
pull the fins upward @ for support with the
other hand.
• Now, grasp the fins with the hand that you
used to move the convertible top forward
and hold the fins in this position . With the
other hand, turn the wheel wrench upward
until it stops @.
(0 Tips
-When pressing the convertible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated in the latch on the windshield
frame and not on the frame itself.
- When pressing the convertible top for­
ward, make sure the locking pins are
seated exactly in the latch on the wind­
shield frame and not on the frame itself
This is the only way that the convertible
top can be latched correctly.