2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER mirror

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>

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.

(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.

Reverse parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 96 Navigation system display: Aiming at a parking
spot
Fig. 97 Navigation system display: Al ign ing the veh icle
~ Switc h the navigation system and the dis­
play of the navigation system on.
~ Select the reverse gear.
~ Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines(!) appear in the parking
spot
9 fig. 96. Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle.
Each marking represents 3
ft. (1 m). The
blue area represents an extension of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16
ft. (5 m)
to the rear.
~ While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking spot
with the a id of the orange orientation lines
9(D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle once the red orientation line©
touches an object
9 ,&. .
A WARNING
-The rearview camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle~
page 82,
fig. 93. Watch out especially for small
Parking system 85
children and animals. The rear view cam­
era cannot always detect them, posing
risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be farther away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a vehicle or the rear of a
truck). In this case, you should not use
the orientation lines to help with park­
ing, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system display, the direc­
tion of travel of the vehicle rear is repre­
sented depending on the steering wheel
angle. The vehicle front swings out more
than the vehicle rear. Maintain plenty of
distance so that your outside mirror or a
corner of your vehicle does not collide with
any obstacles. This can damage to your ve­ hicle.
Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street.
Fig. 98 Navigat ion system display: Blue surface
a ligne d with parking spot
Fig. 99 Navigat ion system display: The blue curved line
contacting the curb
IJi,,-

86 Parking system
The following steps app ly only when there is
no obstacle such as a wall near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the informat ion
prov ided in the "Parking Next to Obstacles"
section.
.. Activate the turn signal.
.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3 ft. (1 m) from a parked vehicle .
.. Switch the navigation system and the nav i­
gat ion system d isplay on.
.. Se lect rev erse gear . T he parking aid turns
on and pa rking mode 1 appea rs on the dis­
play.
.. Press the cont ro l button 1 on the nav iga­
tion system ¢
fig. 98. Parking mode 2 ap­
pears .
.. Back up and align your vehicle so the b lue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle or on the parking spot line. The blue area
represents an extension of the ve hicle's out ­
line by approximately 16 ft (5 meters) to the
r ear. The long side of the blue area shou ld
be o n the curb. The entire blue area must fit
i n to the par king spot .
.. Wi th the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
wheel to the right as far as it wi ll go .
.. Back into the parking spot unti l the blue
curve to uches the curb¢
fig. 99. Stop the
vehicle .
.. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
whee l to the left as fa r as it wi ll go .
.. Co nti nu e to back into the pa rk ing spot until
the vehicle is par ked para llel to the curb. @
ma rks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line@ borders an
obje ct ¢ .&,. . Keep an eye on the fron t of
yo ur vehicle while doing this
c> (D.
Parking next to obstacles
When the re is an obsta cle (suc h as a wall)
next to the pa rking spot, choose a spot w ith
mo re space on the sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so t hat there is sufficient
space from the c urb. The area must not be on
the c urb. Yo u wi ll also need to start turning
the steering wheel much ear lier. There should
be a suffic ient amount of space between the c
ur b and the blue curve, and the b lue curve
c> fig. 99 must not touch the curb.
A WARNING
--The rearview came ra does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle¢
page 82,
fig. 93. Watch out especially for small
children and anima ls . The rear view cam ­
era can not always detect them, posing
ris k of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the ground can appear to be farther away
than they really a re (fo r example, the
bumper of a vehicle or the rear of a
t ruck). In th is case, you should not use
the orientation lines to help wi th par k­
ing, which poses dan ger of an accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system disp lay, the direc­
tion o f tra ve l o f th e veh icle re ar is rep re­
sented depend ing on the steering wheel
angle. The vehicle front swings out mo re
than the vehicle rear . Ma inta in p lenty of
distance so that your o utside mirror or a
corner of you r vehicle does not coll ide with
any obstacles . This can damage to your ve­
hicle .
@ Tips
The left o r right orientation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
turn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Fi g. 100 N av igation syste m dis pl ay: a djustin g t he
park ing syst em

154 Cleaning and protection
Hand washing
When washing your vehicle by hand, first soft­
en the dirt with copious amounts of water and rinse it
off as best you can.
Then clean the vehicle using a soft
sponge, an
auto glove or a low-pressure wash brush.
Work from the top down to the bottom, start­
ing with the convertible top
¢ page 156. Use
a
shampoo only for very stubborn dirt.
Rinse the sponge or auto glove thoroughly at
frequent intervals.
Clean the wheels, door sills and similar areas last . Use a separate sponge for this.
_& WARNING
- Car washes with conveyors can damage
the vehicle tires, which could cause the tire to lose pressure suddenly while driv­
ing and put you at risk for an accident.
Do not use car washes with conveyors.
- Switch
off the ignition when you wash
your vehicle to avoid an accident.
- Protect your hands and arms from sharp
metal edges when you clean the under­
body, the inside of the wheel wells or the
wheel covers to avoid cutting yourself.
- When washing your vehicle in the winter:
Moisture and ice in the brake system can
affect the brakes.
- Never wash tires with a jet that sprays
water in a direct stream. This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relative­ ly long distance and for a short time.
Damaged and weakened tires can fail
and cause accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never drive your vehicle through any au­ tomatic car wash that fails to provide ei­
ther sufficient clearance for your vehicle
or sufficient track width for your tires. Risk of expensive damage to the vehicle's
underbody , tires, and rims!
- As described in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet, damage or malfunction due to misuse of the vehicle or failure to
operate the vehicle in accordance with
the
instructions of this Owner's Manual
will not be covered under warranty.
- Fold the exterior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damaging the exterior mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors must not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not wash the vehicle in direct sun­
light. You may damage the paint.
- Do not use sponges designed to remove
insects, rough kitchen sponges, or simi­
lar products. You risk damaging the
paint surface.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights with a dry cloth or sponge . Use a
wet cloth or sponge.
It is best to use
soapy water.
- Never clean tires using a nozzle that
sprays water in a direct stream. Damage
can occur even with a relatively long
spraying distance and for a very short
time.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis­
tance between the spray head and soft materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for
a long time. This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re­
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the material.
- Never clean the convertible top using a
power washer.
@) For the sake of the environment
Wash your vehicle only at specially de­
signed facilities. They can prevent any dirty
water contaminated by oil from entering
the waste water. In certain areas washing
a car outside of such facilities is not per­ mitted.

158 Cleaning and protection
You shou ld also clean the inside of the win ­
dow g lass at regular intervals.
The cloth or chamois used on paint surfaces
con tains wax res idue. Use a separa te cloth or
chamois to d ry the window glass.
Cl eaning the rear window
Aud i recommends cleaning the window us ing
a soft cotton clot h and water m ixed wi th
clean ing solution or window cleaner (1:1 mix ­
ture) . To avoid streaks, do not wipe the win­
dow dry with paper towels.
D o not use any clea ning so lutions that conta in
ammonia, acids , si licone or fl uo ride or clean­
ers that are abrasive or co uld cause sc ratches.
Do not use any alkaline cleaning solutions.
A WARNING
- The windshie ld m ust 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 sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
t ion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatte r.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 153.
(D Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
sticke rs on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scratch ing the
window, always scrape in a forward d i­
r ection - pushing the scraper away from
you - never back and forth .
Wheels
Regular care is required to preserve the deco­
rative appearance of the wheels . Road sa lt
and brake dust must be washed off regu larly
or the wheels wi ll be damaged. Use only special acid-free cleaning agents
. You
can find proper wheel cleaner at authorized
Audi dealers and specia lty stores . Do not leave
the cleaner on the wheels longer than speci­
fied. Wheel cleaners contain ing acid can dam­
age the surface of the wheel bolts .
Pa int polish or other abrasive materials must
not be used when caring for wheels . If the
protective coat ing has been damaged, from
stones for example, touch up the damage as
soon as possible.
A WARNING ,__
- Moisture and ice on b rakes may affect
b rak ing eff ic iency -
¢ page 145, Braking.
Test the b rakes carefully after each veh i­
cle wash.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNI NGS and
the informa tion
¢page 153.
Exhaust tail pipes
-
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other abrasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Radio and navigation display
T he display may be cleaned with a soft cloth
and commercially-avai lab le "LCD cleaner".
The cloth should be coated lightly when the
cleaning solution when cleaning the display.
(D Note
To prevent scratches, only clean the dis­play when it is dry.