2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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. ..,_

64 Seats and storage
Opening the lower storage compartment
.. Fo ld t he lid dow nward in the direct ion o f
the a rrow @.
,8. WARNING
Always keep the sto rage compartments
closed when dr iving to help reduce the risk
of injury .
(D Tips
Both lids must be closed in or der to lock
the compartments .
-

Warm and cold Climate controls
Controls
W arm and cold 65
The climate controls automatically maintain the selected temperature in the vehicle interior
throughout each season .
Fig. 79 Climate contro ls
We recommend the following sett ing :
• Rotate the knob¢
fig. 79@ to the right to
switch on the air conditioning .
• Set the temperature to 72
°F (22 °().
• Press the !AUTO !¢ fig . 79 button .
Using the previously recommended setting is
the quickest way to achieve a comfortable cli ­
mate in the vehicle . Th is setting shou ld there­
fore only be changed when persona l comfort
l eve ls o r ce rtain circumstances requ ire it .
The climate controls are a combination of au ­
tomatic heating and ventilation systems and a
cooling system which dehum idifies and coo ls
the air inside the vehicle .
The climate controls automatically maintain a temperature once it has been set. The tem­
pe rat ure of the air from the v ents, fan speed
(air volume) and ai r distribu tion a re also auto ­
mat ica lly adjus ted . The system a lso takes into
account strong s unshine so that manua l ad ­
justment is not necessary . So in almost all
cases,
automatic mode offers the best cond i­
tions for the comfort of the occupants at all
times of the year ¢
page 68.
Please note:
In cooling mode, relative humidity in the inte­
r ior is reduced . This prevents the w indows
from fogg ing up . When outside temperatu res
ar e l ow (temperat ures below freezing), the air
cond it ion ing (compressor) switches off auto­
matically - a ir in the vehicle interior is not de­
humid ified.
When relative hum idity and tempera tures
outside are high,
c onden sate can drip from
t he a ir cond ition ing evaporator and form a
poo l of w at er unde r the ve hicle. This is normal
and not an ind ication of a leak!
When o uts ide temperatures are low, the fan
does not swi tch to a higher speed until the
coolant has reached an adequa te tempera­
tu re, wit h the exception of the defrost set­
ting.
When ac celera ting at w ide-open throttle, t he
air condi tioning compressor is temporar ily
swi tched off to ma intain full engine power .
In order to ensure engine coo ling under ex­
t reme engine lo ads , the compressor is switch­
ed off if coolant temperatures climb too hig h . ..,.

66 Warm and cold
Functions are set by turning the rotary knob
or switched on and
off by tapping the buttons.
The LED in the buttons illuminates when the
function is active.
Button(s) Meaning Page
Rotary knob Temperature ¢ page 66
CD selection
Switch air con-
Rotary knob ditioning on/
¢page 67
@ ~ off
Fan
Rotary knob Air distribu-
¢ page 67
® tion
~ Defrost ¢page 68
~
Rear window ¢page 69
defogger
I Heated seat
I-"' +I driver/passen-¢page 69
ger side*
~ Recirculation ¢ page 68
l(g]
Switch on
cooling sys-
¢page 68
I tern
Pollutant filter
The pollutant filter (particle filter) ensures
that contaminants in the outside air (such as
dust or pollen) are greatly reduced or stop­
ped. The air is also filtered in recirculation
mode.
The pollutant filter element must be changed
according to the intervals specified in the maintenance schedule so that the air condi­
tioning system's performance is not adversely
affected.
If the filter 's effectiveness is weakened by
driving the vehicle in areas with heavily pollut­
ed outside air, the filter element should also
be changed between the listed services.
Energy management
To prevent the battery from being discharged
and to restore the balance of energy, compo­
nents which require large amounts of energy
are temporarily cut back or switched
off
¢ page 147. Heating systems in particular re­
quire a great deal of energy. If you notice , for
example, that the rear window heater is not
heating, then it has been temporarily cut back
or switched
off by energy management.
These systems are available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored.
A WARNING ,..__
For safety reasons, it is important that all
windows are free of ice, snow, and conden­
sation. Only then is good visibility ensured.
Please familiarize yourself with the correct
operation of the air conditioning and how
to dehumidify/defrost the windows.
@ Note
- If
you suspect that the climate controls
have been damaged, switch the system
off to avoid damaging it , and have it in­
spected by an authorized Audi dealer.
- Audi climate control system repairs re­
quire special expertise and the proper
tools. You should contact an authorized
Audi dealer in the event of malfunctions.
(D Tips
-To avoid adversely affecting heating and
cooling performance and to prevent con­
densation on the windows, the air intake
in front of the windshield must be free of
ice, snow, and leaves .
- Climate control works most effectively if
the windows are closed. However, if the interior of a parked vehicle is extremely
hot from the sun's rays, briefly opening
the windows can speed up the cooling
process.
Setting temperature
.,. Turn the rotary knob CD¢ page 65, fig. 79
to the desired temperature setting.
To set a lower temperature, turn the rotary
knob to the left. To set a higher temperature,
turn the rotary knob to the right. There are .,..

additional intermediate settings available to
adjust the temperature as needed .
Switching climate control on /off
Sw itching the clim ate cont rol sy stem on /
off
• Turn the knob@¢ page 65, fig. 79 to the
rig ht to sw itch cl imate control on. The LED
next to the word OFF goes out .
• Turn the knob@¢
page 65, fig. 79 to the
left to switch the cl imate control system off .
The L ED next to the word O FF comes on.
Setting fan speed~
• Turn the knob@¢ page 65, fig. 79 to the
setting you want to adjust fan speed (a ir
quantity) .
Air distribution
F ig. 80 Instr ument pane l: Locat io n of air vents
• Turn the rotary knob@¢ page 65, fig. 79
to the desired setting.
• To open and close the outlets , turn the ad­
just ing ring .
• To ad just the direct ion of the a irflow from
the outlet, move the tab in the center of the
outlet in the desi red d irect ion. The direction
of the air de livered from the ven ts can be
adjusted horizontally and vertically.
Air dist ribution :
- In sett ing
0, air flows only to the w indows,
vents
(I) and @are open. To defrost the
W arm and cold 6 7
If the difference between the desi red temper­
ature set by you and the vehicle's interior tem­
perature is too great, the fan speed w ill
change automatically. This is done so that the
desired temperature setting is reached as
quick ly as poss ible .
(D Tips
If the difference between the desired tem­
perature you have set and the veh icle's in­
terior temperature is too high, the fan
speed will change automat ica lly. This is
done so that the desired tempera ture set­
ting is reached as quickly as poss ible.
driver and front passenger side windows most effective ly, the vents @sho uld be di­
rected toward the side windows .
- In setting®, ai r flows only to the driver/
passenger, vents@and @ are open.
- In setting
-0-, air flows only to the footwell,
vents @ are open.
- In setting~. air flows only to the windows
and the footwell, vents
(I) , @ and © are
open.

68 Warm and cold
There are additional combinations (through
intermediate settings) avai lable to adjust air
d istribution as needed.
(D Tips
I f the climate cont rols are runn ing in cool ­
ing mo de, air shou ld flow mainly from
vents @and
@. To achieve suff ic ient coo l­
ing, you shou ld neve r close these vents
comp letely .
Defrost ~
The windshield and side windows are defrost ­
ed or cleared of condensa tion a s quickly a s
possible.
.. To turn on the de fogger/defroster, press the
C!:J button c> page 65 , fig . 79 .
.,. To turn the defogger/defroster
off, press
the ~ button aga in , or the
!AU TO ! button .
Temperature is controlled automatically. The
maximum amount of a ir flows main ly from
ve nts 1
<=> page 67.
A sma ll amount of air flows from vents 2 -if
they are open
<=> page 67 .
P ress ing the ~ button switches
off recircu la­
tion mode.
Automatic operation ~
Standard operating mode at all times of the
year.
Turning on automatic operation
.. Set the temperature you want .
.,. Press the
!AUTO I bu tton c> page 65, fig. 79.
Automatic operation ensures constant tem ­
pe ratures in the int erio r and dehum idifies the
a ir i nside t he vehi cle. Ai r temperature, vol­
ume, and dist ribution a re controlled a utoma t­
i ca lly to reach o r maintain the desire d interio r
temperature as q uickl y as possib le . Fluct ua ­
tions in exterior temperature and the effects
of tempe rat ur e from the position of the sun
are compensated for automat ica lly.
Manual air recirculation mode~
The recirculation mode prevents polluted out­
side air from entering the vehicle interior.
Switching on air recirculation
.. Press the button ~ c> page 65 , fig. 79,
c> _& .
Switching off air recirculation
.,. Press the b utton !,.;,,I ag ain, or
.. Press the
!AU TO ! button, or
.. Press th e ~ button .
In recirc ulation mode, air is drawn from t he
vehicle interior, filte red, and recircula ted . We
recommend that yo u se lect rec irculatio n
mode
briefly <=>.&. under the fo llowing cond i­
tions:
When driving thro ugh a tunne l or in a traff ic
jam so that exha ust fumes an d odors cannot
enter the vehicle inte rior.
A WARNING
You sho uld not use the recirculation mode
for an extended pe riod s ince no fresh air is
d rawn in, and with the air co ndit ioning
switched
off the windows can fog up - this
i nc reases the r is k of an accident!
A/C operation ~
Switching on A/C
.. Press t he !AC ! button c> page 65, fig . 79.
Switching A /C off
.. Press the !AC ! button again .
The cooling sys tem is swi tched on d uring A/C
operation - the heat ing and ventilation system
is contro lled automatically .
{I) Tips
If the LED in the sw itch stays on a fter A/C
ope ration has been switc hed
off( = switch­
i ng the A/C
off), there is a fault in an air
cond itioning component. P lease cons ult .,.

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.

70 On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 81 Lever under the steering column
~ Push the lever¢ fig. 81 down ¢ .&_.
~ Move the s teer ing whee l to the desired po­
sition.
~ Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­
ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steer ing wheel.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steer ing whee l co lumn only
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
-
- Adjust the dr iver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel ¢
page 92, fig. 104. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly .
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is
available.
- If the steer ing whee l is aligned with your
face, the supplemental dr iver's a irbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing whee l is al igned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury if the dr iver's airbag dep loys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with you r hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Ho lding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock/Ignition
switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig . 82 Ignit ion lock positions
Ig niti on off ©
In position ¢ fig. 82 (D both the ignition and
engine are
off, and the steering is locked .
T o
loc k t he steerin g after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steering wheel in ei­
ther direction unt il you hear it lock into place.
You should a lways lock the steering whenever
you leave your vehicle. This makes vehicle
theft even more difficult¢&. .