2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER rollover

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

Active rollover protection system
Function
The active rollover protection system helps
protect vehicle occupants in the event of a
rollover.
I ~
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Fig . 106 Rollbar deployment range
Fig. 107 Rollbar deployed
The active rollover protection system cons ists
of:
- two rollbars
- the safety belts with belt tens ioners
- the windshield frame
- the rollover sensors .
The active rollover protection system provides
additional safety in the event of a rollover.
W ith in mill iseconds, sensors deploy two roll­
bars located behind the headrests
¢fig . 107.
The rollbars, reinforced windshield frame and
belt tensioners help protect vehicle occupants
in the event of a rollover.
The rollover protection system functions
when the convertible top is both open and
closed.
Dr ivin g Sa fely 99
A WARNING
Do not use the area behind the headrests
¢ fig. 106 as a storage area . This is the
area where the rollbars deploy .
If the roll­
over protection system is triggered, ob­
jects placed there can be prope lled
through the vehicle and make it more diffi­
cult for the rollbars to dep loy. This inc reas­
es the risk for serious or life -threatening
i njuries.
When is rollover protection deployed?
Rollover protection deploys in a collision or
rollover .
Depending on the colli sion, sensors through­
out the vehicle a nd the contro l module trigge r
the rollover system to deploy.
For safety reasons, rollover protection also de­
ploys during front, side a nd rear co llisions
above a certa in level of sever ity.
Retracting rollover protection
Fig . 1 08 Dep loyed rollbar with release loop
Fig. 109 Deployed rollbar with convert ible top frame
facing upward
If t he ro llbars deployed but the vehicle was
not involved in a collision or rollover, you can
Ill-

100 Driving Saf ely
retract them without specia l tools . The sys­
tem is ready for use again once they are re­
tracted.
"" Remove the w ind deflector, if necessary
¢ page 42.
"" Lower the rear window, if necessary
¢page 43.
"" Pull the loop upward in the direction of the
arrow and hold it in place
(D ¢ fig. 108.
"" Slide the rollbar down@¢&, .
"" Release the loop just before the rollbar
reaches its end position 1-2 in. (3-5 cm) .
"" Press the rollbar dow n firm ly until it stops.
"" Make sure the rollbar is secure before re­
leasing it .
"" Close the cover@¢
fig. 109.
"" Repeat the procedure on the other rollbar.
A WARNING
-
- Make sure your head or other parts of
your body are not located in the area above the rollbar when pressing the roll­
bar down. If the rollbar is not secured
co rrectly, it could dep loy again as soon as
yo u r elease it and ca use i nju ries.
- Have the rollover protection system
checked by your au thorized Audi dealer if
i t malfunct ions. Otherwise the system
may not deploy co rrec tly in a co llision.
- Modifying the ro llover p rotection system
o r individ ua l components is not permi t­
ted.
- Work on t he rollover pro tect io n sys tem
sho uld only be performed by your au­
thori zed Aud i dea le r. Othe rwise the sys ­
tem may not function correct ly in a colli­
sion or it could dep loy unexpected ly .
- Have the system inspected at service in ­
tervals. This ens ures the system will a l­
ways be ready for use. Have yo ur autho r­
ized Audi dea ler check the rollover pro­
tection system every two years at the lat­
est.
If the rollbars dep loy when the convert ib le
top is closed, do not open the top. Doing so cou
ld result in damage to the vehicle.
P lease see your authorized A udi dealer for
ass istance.

when an airbag deploys and strikes an occu­pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for chil­
dren. Therefore:
~ Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
s itting position in the vehicle while traveling
c:>& .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used .
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants are correctly restrained and stay in
a correct seating position whenever the
vehicle is being used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:> page 102.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear end collisions and in a
rollover above a particular severity , safety
belts in use are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts for the front seating positions are equipped with safety belt pretensioners.
T he system is activated by sensors in front,
side and rear-end collisions and in a rollover of
great severity. This tightens the belt and takes
up belt slack
c:> &. in Service and disposal of
safety belt pretensioner on page 107.
Taking
up the slack helps to reduce forward occupant
movement during a collision .
@ Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be
activated once .
- In minor frontal and side collisions, in
rear-end collisions and in accidents in­
volving very little impact force, the safe­
ty belt pretensioners are not activated.
Safety belts 107
-When the safety belt pretensioner is ac­
tivated, a fine dust is released. This is
normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle.
- The relevant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo­
nents of the system are scrapped. An au­
thorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these regulations and will be pleased to
pass on the information to you .
- Be sure to observe all safety, environ­
mental and other regulations if the vehi­
cle or individual parts of the system, par­
ticularly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed. We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this
service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi . Installing, remov ­
ing, servicing or repairing of belt pretension­
ers can damage the safety belt system and
prevent it from working correctly in a colli­
s ion.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pol­
lute the environment .
A WARNING r----
Improper care, servicing and repair proce-
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing a safety belt pretensioner from activating when needed
or activating it unexpectedly :
- The belt pretensioner system can be acti­
vated only once. If belt pretensioners have been activated, the system must be
replaced.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the safety belt system.
1)1,,
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118 Airbag system
amount programmed in the e lectronic control
unit. The front airbag on the passenger side
will also be turned off if one of the child safe­
ty seats that has been certified under Federa l
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 has been
recogn ized on the seat . The
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on to tell
you when the front Advanced Airbag on the
passenger side has been turned off
c::> page 111, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know .
8_ WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag
inf lates, always wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, leaning forward,
sitting sideways or out of position in any
way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will also receive serio us injuries and
cou ld even be killed if you are up against
the airbag or too close to it when it in­
flates -even with an Advanced Airbag
c::> page 109.
More important things to know about
front airbags
Fig . 122 Inflated front a irbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position
so that airbags can deploy properly and pro­
vide supplemental protection in a frontal col­
lision .
The front airbags are designed to provide ad­ d itional protect ion for the chest and face of
the dr iver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn properly, -
the seats have been positioned so that the
occupant is properly seated as far as possi­
ble from the airbag,
- and the head restraints have been properly
adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye
with great force, things you have on your lap
or have placed on the seat could become dan­
gerous projectiles, and be pushed into you if
the airbag inf lates.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is released .
This is normal and is not caused by a fire in
the vehicle . This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they
deploy. It could irr itate skin.
It is important to remember that whi le the
supplementa l airbag system is designed to re­
duce the like lihood of serious injuries, other
injur ies, for example swelling, bruising and
minor abrasions, can also happen when air­
bags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags
supplement the three point safety belts only
in some frontal collisions in which the vehicle
deceleration is high enough to deploy the air­
bags.
Front airbags will not deploy:
- if the ignition is sw itched off when a crash
o ccurs ,
- in side co llisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in rollovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by
the airbag system is less than the min imum
threshold needed for a irbag deployment as
registered by the electronic control unit.
The front passenger airbag also will not
deploy:
- when the front passenger seat is not occu­
pied,
- when the weight on the front passenger
seat as sensed by the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem ind icates that the front a irbag on the
passenger side has to be turned off by the ..,.

that the airbags can provide s upplemental
protection.
The airbag system is not a s ubst itute for yo ur
safety be lt. Rathe r, it is part of the overall oc­
cupant restraint system in your veh icle . Al­
ways remember that the airbag system ca n
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly . This
is why you shou ld always wear your safety
be lt, not just because the law requires you to
do soc::>
page 102, Why safety belts?.
The safety belt buck le for the driver and front
seat passenger have switches that tell the air­ bag control module if the safety belt is being
used or not . If the safety belt is being used,
the knee airbag will deploy at a slightly higher
r ate of decelera tion than if the belt is not be­
in g used. Therefore, in a par ticular collision , it
is poss ible th at an airbag will not deploy at a
seating position where the safety belt is being
used but will inflate at the position where the
safety belt is not be ing used.
Remembe r too, airbags will deploy only once
and only in certain kinds of accidents -your
safety belts are a lways there to offer protec ­
tion in those acc idents in which airbags are
not supposed to deploy or when they have al­
ready deployed, for example when your vehi­
cle strikes o r is struck by another after the
fi rst coll is io n.
This is just one of t he reasons why an a irbag is
not a substitute for the safety belt. The airbag
system works most effective ly when used with
the safety belts. Therefore, always wea r your
safety belts correctly .
It is important to remember that while the
supp lemental knee airbag system is designed
to reduce the like lihood of serious injur ies,
o ther injuries, fo r example, swel ling, b rui sing,
minor abrasions and friction burn s can also
oc cur when an airbag infl ates.
The knee airbag system basically cons ists
of :
-The elect roni c con trol mod ule
A irba g sy stem 125
- Two in flatable ai rbags (a irbag and gas gen ­
erator), one for the driver and o ne for the
front passenger
- The a irbag i ndicator light in the instr ument
panel
The knee airbag system will not deploy:
- when the ignit ion is tu rned off
- in frontal collisions when the deceleration
meas ured by the cont ro l unit is too low
- in side collisions
- in rear-end collisions
- in rollovers
- in the event of a system malfunction (warn-
ing/ind icator light is on)
c::> page 14.
A WARNING
- Safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide protection w hen occupa nts
are in the proper seating position
<::>page 118.
- If the airbag ind icator light comes on
when the vehicle is being used, have the sys tem inspected immediately by your
author ized Audi dealer.
How knee airbags work
The risk of injury to the leg area can be re­
duced by fully deployed knee airbags.
F ig. 12 5 Inflated a irbags prot ecting in a frontal coll i­
s io n
-
The knee airbag system has been designed so
that the airbags for the dr iver and fro nt pas­
senger deploy in certain but not all frontal
collisions .
II>-