2012 AUDI R8 SPYDER steering

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.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assis­
tance if necessary.
@ Tips
The brake light switch is only inspected as
pa rt of the functional check after the en ­
gine is started.
@ Light/rain sensor defective
Applies to vehicles: with automatic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem.
If the symbol illum inates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons, the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU­
TO. However, you can continue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still available .
H ave the light/ra in sensor checked as soon as
possible at an author ized Audi dealer.
; Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The indicator light E ill uminates when the ig­
nition is switched on as
a function check.
(D Tips
If the ind icator lamp illuminates while you
are driving, there is a malfunct ion in the
veh icle damping. The chass is should be in­
spected immediately by an authorized Au­
di dealer.
-:;J. Rear spoiler
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electrically retractable rear spoiler .
The warning/indicator light Ii! has the follow­
ing functions:
-It comes on for about 3 seconds as a func­
t ion check when the ignition is switched on.
- It comes on if there is a ma lfunction in the
electrically retractable rear spoiler . Additional
information about the electr ica lly
retractable rear spoiler
r:;, page 144.
,.YI F{ Selector lever defective
Applies to vehicles : with R tronic
g Ii] Selector lever defective! No reverse
gear!
If the symbols are i lluminated, there is a mal­
function in the R tronic selector lever . These­
l ector lever d isp lays go out or flash. It is not
poss ible to engage reverse gear. If you have
been shifting the transm iss ion manually, it
switches to automat ic operation.
You can continue to shift the transmission manually. From the neutral position N, en­
gage first gear by tapp ing the shift button
0
o n the steering wheel. Then the transmission
remains in manual operat ion and you can se­
lect the gears using the s hift buttons.
Have the selector lever checked as soon as
poss ible at an authorized Aud i dealer or other
qualified workshop .
i~Jf Clutch is overheating
Applies to vehicles:
ffl O Clutch: Overheating possible. See own­
er's manual.
If the symbols are i llum inated, the clutch is
ove rheating and could be damaged if you con­
tinue to drive.
Stop your vehicle and allow the engine to run
at idle for several m inutes . This w ill cool the
clutch.
0 Gearbox malfunction
App lies to vehicles: wit h R tro nic
In the event of a system malfunction, R tronic
switches to emergency ope rat ion mode.
[O) Gearbox malfunction! You can continue
driving
You can continue to drive the vehicle. See an authorized Aud i dealer or other qualified
workshop at the next opportun ity . ..,.

When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signal blink at the same time . The turn
signal ind icator lights
R II in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
flasher switch~ blink likewise . The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
switched off.
The emergency flasher wi ll automatically
sw itch on if you are in an acc ident where the
a irbag has deployed .
(D Tips
You should switch on the emergency flash­
er when:
-you are the last vehicle standing in a traf ­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
-your vehicle has broken down or yo u are
in an emergency situation , or when
- your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if yo u are towing another vehicle
behind you.
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever is used to operate the turn signals
and the high beam as well as the headlight
flasher .
t
t
F ig . 6 2 Turn signa l an d h igh beam lever
The turn s ignal and high beam leve r has the
followi ng functions:
Turn sign als ¢ 9
N
"' 8
"' ... a,
~ Lift the lever up all the way c:> fig . 62 to use
the right turn s ignals
(D , or push the lever
down all the way to use the left turn signals
@ .
Clear vi sion 51
~ Move the lever (up or down) just to the
point of resistance to use the turn signals
for as long as you need them, for example
when changing lanes .
~ Briefly move the lever up or down just to
the point of resistance and t hen release it to
flash the turn s ignals three times in succes­
sion . This
C o nveni ence turn signal funct ion
must be activated in the menu disp lay
c:> page25 .
High beam ~D
~ Push the lever forward @to switch on the
high beam .
~ Pull the lever back towards you to sw itch off
the high beam.
Headlight flasher ~D
~ Pull the lever toward the steering wheel ©
to use the headlight flasher .
Notes on the se feature s
-The turn signals only work with the ignition
switched on . T he indicator lights
IJ or Bi n
the instrument cluster c:> page 11 also blink.
- After you have turned a corner, the turn s ig-
nal switches off automatically.
- The high beam works only when the head ­
lights are on. The indicator light
II i n the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams are on .
- The headlight flasher works only as long as
you ho ld the lever - even if there are no
lights switched o n. The ind icator light
II i n
the instrument cluste r illuminates whe n you
use the headlight flasher .
.&, WARNING
Do not use t he h igh beam or hea dligh t
fl ashe r if yo u know th at these could be
b lin ding oncoming t raffic .

lever is controlled by a light sensor locat­
ed in the instrument panel. The instru­
ment pane l illumination will a utomat i­
cally become dimmer as the daylight
fades away and eventually will go o ut
completely when outside light is ve ry
low. T his is to rem ind you, the drive r, to
switch on the headlights before it gets
too dark.
- Canada models: instrument panel i llum i­
nat io n w ill stay b right regard less of the
i n tens ity of amb ien t lig ht. Always be
aware o f ch anges in outside light con di­
tions wh ile you are driving. Resp ond in
time to fading daylight by t urning the
l ight sw itch to position
io (or "A UTO" if
your car is equ ipped with this feature) to
turn on your headlights.
Luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the
luggage compartment .
These lights come on automatica lly when the
front lid is opened. The lig hts turn off auto­
mat ica lly if the lid is left open for more then
10 minutes.
Sun visors
CJ
C • -·-·--·,
~
-----____ ,,_
~ --·----"­-------.. ----
~ ---- s;i~~~j
.---~~·-·oiiiiiii------------1
Fig. 6 5 Sun v isor
The vanity mir rors in the sun v isors are eq uip­
ped with covers.
Clear vi sion 5 3
Wiper and washer
system
Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
Fi g. 6 6 W iper leve r
The w indshield wiper lever¢ fig. 66 has the
follow ing pos itions:
Intermittent wiping 'Pl (activating rain
sen sor)
.,. Move the lever up to position (D .
.,. Move the switch @ to set the duration of
the wipe intervals or to adjust the sensitivity
of the light/rain sensor .
Low wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to pos ition @.
One-touch wiping
.,. Move the lever to positio n @, when you
want to wipe the windsh ield
briefly .
Automatic wip er/ washer
.,. Pull the lever to position ® (toward the
steering whee l) and hold .
.,. Release the lever. The washer system stops
and the wipers continue to operate for
about 4 seconds. Different numbers of wipe
cycles are pe rformed depending on how
long t he leve r is he ld.
Turning off the w ipe rs
.,. Move the lever back to position @.

Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjusting the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger. Adjust
your seat properly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
- your body is properly supported thus reduc­ ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety belts and airbag system can offe r
maximum protection
¢ page 109.
In the following sections, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust your seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for installing a child safety seat on the front passenger's seat. Always heed the informa­
tion regard ing child safety provided in
¢ page 130, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal injury.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion! This applies espec ially to the passen­
gers . If your seating position is incorrect
you increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident. If the
airbag inflates and the seating position
is incorrect this could result in personal
injury or even death.
- It is important for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of a t
Seat s an d sto rage 59
least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the airbag system can­
not protect you properly. In addition to
this, the front seats and head restra ints
must be adjusted to yo ur body height so
that they can give you max imum prote c­
tion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible be tween yourself and the s teer­
ing wheel o r instrument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your seat may move unexpected ly, caus ­
ing sudden loss of vehicle control and
personal injury . If you ad just yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, you are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend that you adjust the driver's
seat in the fo llowing manner:
.,. Adjust the seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can easily push the peda ls to the
floor whi le keeping your knee sligh tly bent
c::> A in Why is your seat adjustment so im­
portant? on page
59 .
.,. Adjust the seatback so that when you sit
w ith your back against the seatback, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.,. Pos it ion the head restraint accord ing to the
occupant 's height
c::> page 61 . For maxi­
mum protection, the top of the head re­
straint shou ld be at least at eye level, pref­
erably higher and idea lly level with the top
of the head
¢ page 94, fig. 105 .
A WARNING
Never place any objects in the dr iver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal
area and interfere with pedal funct ion. In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate!

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¢&. .

Ignition on @
Afte r switch ing the ignition on, the needles
move all the way up and then down .
I f it is difficult to turn the key afte r you have
i nse rted it into the ignit ion lo ck, tur n the
steer ing whee l back and forth. This will take
the load off the steering lock mechanism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and start the engine .
Starting the engin e@
In th is position the engine starts. While the
engine is start ing, the power s upply to the
headlights and other e lectrica l consumers is
temporari ly interrupted to conserve battery
pow er. Aft er the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position@. The
non -repe at lock prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock causing loss of control.
- If you have to leave your veh icle -even
for just a m in ute - always remove the ig­
nition key and take it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave c hildren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld start the engine or use
other vehicle controls . Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
jur ies .
If the vehicle battery has been disconnect­
ed and then reconnected, then you m ust
leave the key in pos ition @for abo ut 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
On th e ro ad 71
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig­
inal Audi key.
On vehicles with R tronic *, the engine can be
start ed in the ne utra l position N and in each
gea r (1 - 6 and R).
.. Set the park ing brake ¢,&. .
.. On vehicles with man ua l transmission *,
fu lly depress the clutch pedal.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Turn the ignition key to pos it ion ®
¢ page 70, fig. 82 - do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine .
.. Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts - the sta rter must not cont inue to
r u n. On ve hicles w ith R t ro ni c, selec t gea r
posi tion N .
A cold engine may at first be loud afte r it has
been sta rted. This is due to the hydraulic
valves bu ild ing up the oil press ure . Thi s is nor­
mal and no need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
tryi ng after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine abou t 30 seconds later.
A WARNING
- Never start or let the eng ine run in a con­
fined or enclosed area . Exha ust fumes
from the engine contain carbon monox­
ide, a co lor less and odorless gas. Carbon
mo nox ide ca n be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine idling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle with a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft .
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the veh icle w ith
the foot brake .
(D Note
- Avoid h igh engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. This could damage the
eng ine .