2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER climate control

2 Table of contents Vehicle literature .. .. .. .. .. ... .
About this Owner's Manual ...
Controls and equipment .. ... .
Cockpit ................ .... .. . .
General illus tration .... ... .. .. ... .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ........ .. .. .. . .
Ins truments . .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... .
War ning/ indi cator lights ... .. ... .. .
Driver information system .. .
Introduct ion . .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... .
Service interval disp lay . ... .. .... . .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) .. .
T rip computer ............ .. .. .. . .
M enu display ....... ......... .. . .
Lap timer .. .......... ........ .. .
4
5
6
6
6
8
8
11
21
21
22
22
23
25
27
Speed war ning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Opening and closing .. .. .. .. . .
Keys ........................ .. .
P owe r locking system ............ .
Fr ont lid . .. .. . .......... .. .. .. . .
Ant i- t heft ala rm system ... .. .. .. . .
P owe r win dows .. .. ... ... .. .. ... .
Convertible top .............. .
Convertible top ....... ... .. .. ... .
W ind deflecto r ... .. ... ... .. .. ... .
Rear window . .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... .
Convertible top emergency operation .
Clear vision .. .. ..... ... .. .. ... .
Lights ..... ... . ...... ... .. .. ... .
Inter ior lights .............. .. ... .
Sun visors ...................... .
W iper and washer system ....... .. .
M irrors .. .. ................ ... . .
Di git al compass .... ...... .. .. .. . .
32
32
34
37
3 8
39
4 0
4 0
42
4 2
43
49
4 9
52
53
53
56
57
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Ge ne ral recomme ndat ions ... .. .. . .
P owe r seats ............. .. .. .. . .
H ead res traint s .......... .... ... .
Cup holder .............. .. .. ... . 59
60
6
1
6 1
Asht ray ... .... .. ... .. ..... .... . .
Cigarette lighter/socket . ..... ... .. .
Storage ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .
Warm and cold ... .. ..... .... . .
Climate controls .. .. .... .... ... .. .
Heated seats ................... .
On the road ... ... .. ..... .... . .
Steering .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .
Ig nit ion lock/Ignition switch ....... .
Starting the engine ............ .. .
Stopping the eng ine ............. .
Pa rking brak e .. .. ............... .
Cru ise con trol ... . ... ... .... ... .. .
Audi mag netic ride ............... .
Transm1ss1on .. ... .. ....... ... .
Manua l transm iss ion ......... .. .. .
R t ronic ... .... .. ............. .. .
62
62
62
65
65
69
70
70
70
71
72
72
74
75
77
7 7
78
Parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Par king sy stem adv anced
Homelink ® ................... .
Universa l remote cont rol ........ .. .
Safety first .. ....... .......... .
82
8 8
88
91
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Gener al notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
P roper oc cupant se ati ng positions . . . 92
D rive r and passenger si de footwe ll . . . 95
Stow ing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Reporting Sa fety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Active rollover protection system 99
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Genera l notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Illustrat ing the principle of an
acc iden t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
How are safety b elts wo rn cor rect ly? . 104
Safe ty be lt pre tensioners . . . . . . . . . . 107
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
I m po rtant t hings to know . . . . . . . . . . 109
F ron t air bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

(!) Adjuster control for outside mir-rors .... ..... .......... .. .
@ Door handle
@ Power locking switch
© Switches for:
- Front lid release .......... .
- Fuel filler flap release . .. .. .
® Air outlets ............ .... .
® Light switch ............... .
(J) Turn signal and high beam ... .
@ Multifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag ........... .
- Audio, telephone and voice
control system operating but­
tons
- Shift buttons for manual oper-
at ion (R tronic) ........... .
® Instrument cluster
@ Switches for: 57
36
37
166
67
49
51
113
81
8
- Windshield wiper/washer 53
- Trip computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
- Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
- Lap Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
- Speed warning system . . . . . . 29
@ Steering lock/ignition/starte r
switch (in the steering wheel
column) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
@ Adjustable steering column . . . 70
@ Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
@ Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . 52
@) Data Link Connector (DLC) for
On Board Diagnostics (OBD II) . 22
@) Power window switches . . . . . . 39
@ Navigation system
@ Glove compartment (lockable) . 63
@ Front passenger's airbag . . . . . 113
@ Rear window defogger switch . 69
@ Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
@ Gear shift lever or selector lever
(R tronic) :
- Manual transmission
- R tronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
@ Switches for: -Audi magnetic ride ........
.
- Electronic Stability Control ..
- Em ergency flasher ........ .
- Retractable rear spoiler .... .
- Parking system ...... ..... .
Cockpit 7
75
142
so
144
82
@ Convertible top switch . . . . . . . 40
@ Rear window switch . . . . . . . . . 42
@ Parking brake lever . . . . . . . . . . 72
(D Tips
-Some of the equipment or features
shown in the general illustration may be
standard equipment on your vehicle or
my be optional equipment depending on
your model.
-A separate brochure is provided for your
factory-installed Audi Navigation Sys­
tem.

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.

dealer will g ladly provide you with more
information.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- T emperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the ti re side wa ll between tread shoulde r
and maximum section wid th ¢ page 193,
fig. 151 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Tract ion AA ,
Temperatu re A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requi rements in addition to these
grad es.
Tread we ar
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) t imes as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100 .
The relat ive perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iv ing habits, serv­
i ce practices and differences in road character­
i stics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, B and
C. Those grades represent the
tire's abil ity to stop on wet pavement as
measured unde r controlled cond it ions on
spec ified gove rnment test su rfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire ma rked C may h ave po or
t ra ction perfo rm ance¢ &..
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and C, repr ese nting the t ire's resistance to
the gene rat io n of heat and its ab ility to dissi-
Tire s an d wheel s 197
pate heat when tested under controlled condi ­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
whee l.
Sustaine d high temperature can cause the
mater ia l of the tire to degenerate and red uce
tire life, and excessive tempe rat ure ca n lead
to s udden tire failure ¢ &. .
T he gr ade C correspon ds to a level of pe rform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet u nder the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No . 109 . Grades Band A represent higher
l evels of performance on the laboratory test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include accele rat ion,
cor neri ng, hy droplaning or peak t ra ction
ch aracte rist ics.
A WARNING
T he temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablishe d for a tire that is properly inf lated
and not overloaded . Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, e it h er
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. T hese tires should
o nl y be used in pairs and be installed o n all
fou r wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that a re the same si ze and construction
type as the othe r ti res on you r vehicle.
If your vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, th is w ill improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the s tanda rd tires . Howev-
er, we stro ngly recommend that you always ..,.
•
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