2014 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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 unlock ing it.
A 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 light ing systems descr ibed .
@ 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. Clear vision 4
7
- 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 light­
ing system .
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering col­
umn is used to operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the headlight flash­
er.
t
'
Fig. 53 Turn signal and high b eam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the
following functions: ..,.

48 Clear vis ion
Turn sign als¢ Q (D@
.,. Push the lever up as far as it can go to turn
on the r ight turn signal or down to turn on
the left turn signal
c;, fig. 53 .
.,. Move the lever briefly until you meet resist­
ance and release it to flash three times .
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet
resistance and ho ld it there to determine
the flash ing t ime for the turn signals.
High beam [D @
.,. Push the lever forward to switch on the high
beam.
.,. Pull the lever back towards you to swi tch off
the high beam .
Headl ight fla she r [D ©
.,. Pull the lever toward the steering wheel to
use the headlight f lasher.
Notes on these features
- T he turn signals only work with the igni tion
switched on . The ind icator lights
II or 1M in
the instrument cluster
i::> page 11 also b link .
- After you have turned a corner, the tur n sig -
nal switches off a utomat ica lly.
- T he
high beam works only when the head­
li gh ts are on. The indicator light
II in the
instrument cluste r illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- T he
headlight flasher works on ly as long as
yo u hold the lever -even if there are no
li ghts turned on . The indicator light
II in
the instrument cl uster i llum inates when you
use the headl ight f lasher.
A WARNING
Do not use the hig h beam or headlight
flashe r if you know that these could blind
oncoming traffic.
Emergency flasher
SPORT •
Fig. 5 4 Center co nsole : em erge ncy flashe r sw itc h
.,. Press the switc h lil i::> fig. 54 to switch the
emergency flasher on or off .
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn s ignals b link at the same time. The turn
s ignal indicator lights
II IB in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light i n the emergency
flasher sw itch
&,. blink likew ise . The eme rgen­
cy flashe rs also work when the ign ition is
tu rned off.
The emergency flasher will automatically switch on if you are in an accide nt whe re the
airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You should sw itch on t he emergency flash­
er when :
- you are the last veh icle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, o r w hen
- your vehicle has broken down or you a re
in an eme rgency s ituation, o r when
- your vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another veh icle
beh ind you .

Interior lights
Interior lights
The interior lights include the reading lights
for the driver and the front passenger .
Fig. 55 Section from headliner : In terior lights
Activating door contact circu it
• Press the button @. The LED in the button
illuminates.
Deactivating do or contact circu it
• Press the button @. The LED in the button
goes out.
Fr ont re ad ing l ight s
~
• Press one of the switches ® to turn the
right or left reading light on/off .
"' l1l 0
With the door contact circuit, the interior
lights turn on as soon as you unlock the vehi­
cle or open the doors. The interior lights are
also turned on when the ignition key is re­
moved. The lights turn off about 30 seconds
after the doors are closed . When the vehicle is
locked or when the ignit ion is tu rned on, the
inte rior lights are turned off .
When a door is open, the interior lights are
turned off after about 10 m inutes to prevent
battery draining.
The brightness of the lights is controlled au­
tomatically by a dimmer when they are
switched on/off.
Clear vi sion 49
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted .
Fig . 56 Instrumen t pa nel illuminat ion
You regu late the brightness of the instr u­
ments with the left thumbwheel
C1 ~ fig . 56 .
Ignition ON, light switch at @
With the ign ition switched ON, the glow of
in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appea r
brighter o r dimmer.
Ignition ON, light switch at
:oo~ or ~D.
With the lights switched on, the brightness of
instrument cluster (i.e. needles, gauges and
displays) and center conso le illuminat ion can
be adjusted .
(D Note
The instrument cluster and center conso le
ill umination (gauges and need les) comes
on when you sw itch on the ignition and the
v eh icle headlight s are off . Be awa re of the
fo llow ing difference be tween models bu ilt
to US or Canadian specifications:
- USA mo dels: illumination o f the i nstr u­
ment cl uster (gauges and need les), dash
and center conso le around the gearshift
lever is controlled by a light sensor locat­
ed in the instrument pane l. The instru­
ment pa nel illuminat ion w ill automati­
cally become dimmer as the daylight
fades away and eventually will go out completely when outs ide light is very
low. This is to remind you, the dr iver, to
switch o n the hea dlights before it ge ts
too d ark .

50 Clear vis ion
- Canada mode ls: instrument panel illumi ­
nation will stay bright regard less of the
i ntensity of amb ient light. Always be
aware of changes in outside light condi­
tions whi le you are driv ing. Respond in
time to fading daylight by turning the light sw itch to position @,0 (or "AUTO " if
you r ca r is equ ipped with this feature) to
tu rn on your headl igh ts.
Luggage compartment light
The ligh t is loc ated on t he righ t side of the
l uggage compartmen t.
These lights come on automat ica lly when the
front lid is ope ned . T he lights tu rn off au to­
mat ica lly if the lid is left open for more t hen
10 minutes .
Vision
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 57 Forwa rd se cti on of drive r' s armr est: pow er mir ­
r o r co ntrols
Turn the knob to the desired position :
Q/P - In this position, you can adjust the
driver's and fron t passenger's exter ior mirrors
by turn ing t he knob in the des ired direction .
outs ide temperature.
8 - The exterior mirrors fold in *
You are well-advised to fold the ex te rior m ir­
rors in when mane uvering in tight spaces or
when leaving the car parked close to other
vehi cles .
A WARNING
--Curved (i.e . convex) m irror surfaces in-
crease your field of view. Remember that
veh icles or other objects will appea r
sma ller and farther away than when seen
i n a flat mirror.
If you use th is m irror to
estimate dis tances of followi ng ve hicl es
when changing lanes, yo u co uld estimate
i n correct ly and cause an accident .
(D Note
-If the m irror housing is moved uninten­
ti onally (for examp le , while p arking your
vehicle), then yo u m ust first fold t he mir­
ror electrically. Do not readjust the mir ­
ror housing manually . You cou ld damage
the motor which controls the mirror .
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fo ld the exter ior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirro rs . Never fold powe r folding ex­
terior mirrors* by hand . Only fold them
in and o ut using the power controls .
@ Tips
If there should be a malf u nction in t he
electr ica l system, you can st ill adjust the
ex ter io r mirrors by pressing the edge of
the m irror.
Dimming the mirrors
Fig . 58 Auto matic dimmin g rearv iew m irro r*
Manu al anti-glare adju stment
.,. Move the small lever ( located on the bottom
edge of the mirror) to the rear .
Ill>

Automatically dimming mirr ors*
• To d im the rearv iew mirror and both exterior
mirrors, press the @ button. The diode @
turns on. The rearview and exterior mirrors dim automat ically when light shines on
them, for example from headlights on ave­ hicle to the rear.
A WARNING
E lectrolyte flu id can leak from automatic
dimming m irrors if the glass is broken.
Electrolyte flu id can irritate skin, eyes and
respiratory system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to elec­
tro lyte can cause irritation to the respira­
tory system, espec ially among people
with asthma or other respiratory condi­
tions . Get fresh air immediately by leav­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possible,
open windows and doors a ll the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush
them thoro ughly with large amounts of
clean water for at least 15 m inutes;
medica l attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts sk in, flush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15
minutes and then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical attention is recommended . Thoroughly wash af­
fected clothing and shoes before reuse .
- If swallowed and person is conscious, rinse mouth w ith water for at least 15
minutes . Do not induce vom iting un less
instructed to do so by medical professio­
nal. Get medical attention immediately.
(D Note
Liquid elect rolyte leaking from broken mir­
ror glass will damage any p lastic surfaces
it comes i n contact w ith. Clean up spilled
elec trolyte immediately with clean water
and a sponge.
(D Tips
- Switch ing off the dimming func tion of
the i nside rear view m irror also deact i-
Clear vi sion 51
vates the automatic dimming function of
the exterior mirrors .
- T he automatic dimming mirrors do not
dim when the interior lighting is turned
on or the reverse gear is selected .
- Automatic d imm ing fo r the mirror on ly
operates properly if the light striking the
inside mirror is not hindered in any way.
, Sun visors
,.--~ --~-- -------.
Fig . 59 S un vi so r
The vanity mirrors in the sun visors are equip­
ped with covers .
Wiper and washer
system
Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
Fig . 60 W iper le ver: win ds hiel d wiper le ver positio ns
The windshield wiper lever I:!) fig. 60 has th e
fo llowing positions:
Int ermittent wiping ~1 (acti vating r ain
s e n sor )*
• Move the lever up to position (!).

52 Clear vis ion
• Move the interva l set switch @, to change
the interva ls.
Low wiper sp eed
• Move the leve r up to position @.
High wiper speed
• Move the lever up to position @.
One-touch wiping
• Move the lever to position@, when you
want to wipe the windshield briefly.
Automatic wiper /washer
• Pull the lever to position ® (toward the
steering wheel) and ho ld.
• Re lease the lever. The washer stops and the
wipers keep going for about four seconds .
Turning off the wipers
• Move the leve r back to position @.
The windshield wipers and washer only work when the ignition is turned on. If you switch
off the ignit ion w ith the windshield wiper lev­
e r still in the interval wipe position and then
come back a while later and drive off, the rain
sensor will reactivate itse lf after the vehicle
speed has exceeded 4 mph (6 km/h).
The rain sensor* is only activated with the
wiper leve r set to posit ion
(D . When it starts
to rain, the rain sensor will automatically acti­
vate the intermittent wiping mode.
To reduce the sens it iv ity of the se nsor, move
switch @down. To increase the sens itiv ity,
move the switch up. The highe r you adjust the
sens itivity, the faster the sensor wi ll react
when it se nses moisture on the windshield.
The pauses between w iper turns depend not
only on the sensitivity setting, but on the ve­
h icle speed as well.
During brief stops, e .g. at a red light, wiper
motion wi ll automatica lly be reduced to the
next lower speed. Wipers already turning at
low speed change to interm ittent wip ing .
When the ignition is turned on, t he washer
jets are heated.
A WARNING
- W iper blades are crucial for safe driving!
O nly when they are i n good condit io n are
they able to clear the windows properly
to p rov ide uncomprom ising v is ibility.
Wo rn o r damaged wipe r blades are a
safety haz ard
~ page 54, Replacing
windshield wiper blades!
- The light/ rain sensor* is only des igned to
assis t and support the d river. It remains
entire ly the driver's responsibility to
monitor outside weather condit ions and
to manually activate the wipers as soon as rain or dr izzle reduces v is ibility
through the windshield.
- The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor v is ibility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the w indshield w ip­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
In freezing o r near freezing conditions:
- Always check that the w iper blades are
not frozen to the g lass before you turn
the wipers on. Loosen a wiper blade
w hich is frozen in place before operating
the wipe rs to prevent damage to the
w iper blade or the wiper motor.
- Do not use the w ipers to clear a frosted
w indow. Using the wipers as a conve n­
ient ice scr ape r will dest roy the wipe r
blades.
- Before yo u take your ve hicle to a n auto­
ma tic ca r w ash, ma ke s ure you have the
w indshield wiper system switched off
(lever in position 0), otherwise the wind­
shield wiper system could get damaged
in the car wash i f it should suddenly
come on.
(D Tips
- The windshie ld wipers are switched off
when the ignit ion is turned off. Act ivate
the winds hield wipers after the ignition

is switched back on by moving the wind­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades
cause smearing, which can affect the op­
eration of the light/rain sensor*. Check
the condition of your windshield wiper
blades regularly.
- The rain sensor is part of the interval
wiping system. Turning off the ignition
will also deactivate the rain sensor. To re­
activate the sensor, switch off the inter­
val wiping function, then switch it back
on again.
- Applies to vehicles with light/rain sen­
sor: When the wipers are switched on
manually and in rain conditions, the au­
tomatic headlights* turn on
c;> page 46,
Lights or off during the day when the
wipers are no longer operating. The au­
tomatic headlights* function is available
in this case only when the light switch is
in the "AUTO" position
c;> page 46,
fig. 52.
-Make sure the washer fluid reservoir in
the engine compartment is topped off
before going on a long trip. Look up
c;> page 188 for checking and filling the
washer container.
- The wipers only operate with the hood
completely closed.
Service position
It is only possible to change wiper blades if
you move the wiper arms to the service posi ­
tion.
In order to use the windshield wipers, the
front lid must be completely closed.
Moving wiper blades to the service
position
.,. When there is a risk of frost, make sure that
the wiper blades are not frozen to the wind­
shield .
.,. Switch the ignition on .
.,. Move the wiper lever to position
0
c;>page 51, fig. 60 .
Clear vision 53
.,. Press the I RESET ! button until the Display
type
menu appears in the Driver Informa­
tion System display.
.,. Using the rocker switch and the
I RESET ! but­
ton, select the
Set > Wipers > Front> Serv­
ice position on
function. The windshield
wiper arms move to the service position.
Moving wiper blades to park position
.,. Make certain that the wiper arms are lying
against the windshield.
.,. Switch the ignition on and move the wiper
lever from position
O to 4 c;> page 51,
fig . 60. The wiper arms will move back to
the park position.
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle when the wind­
shield wiper arms are in the service posi­
tion and pulled away from the windshield.
When you drive faster than 4 mph (6 km/
h), the wiper arms automatically return to
the park position and could cause paint
damage to the front lid!
(D Tips
-You can also turn on the service position,
for example, if you want to protect the
windshield from icing by using a cover.
- The service position moves to
off auto­
matically when you operate the wind­
shield wiper lever, or speed exceeds
4 mph (6 km/h).
Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Clean the windshield wiper blades when they
begin to leave streaks .
.,. Place the windshield wiper arms in the serv­
ice position. Refer to
c;> page 53.
.,. Use a soft cloth and glass cleaner to clean
the windshield wiper blades.
A WARNING
Dirty windshield wiper blades can impair
your view. This can lead to accidents.

54 Clear vis ion
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear .
Fig. 61 Unl atc hing wiper b lades
Fi g. 62 Remov ing wiper blades
Removing the wip er blade
.. Move the wipers to the service position
¢ page 53.
.. Fold the w indshield w iper arm away from
the g lass .
.. On the upper end of the wiper arm at the
corrugation, squeeze the plastic retainer to­
gether on both sides in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 61.
.. Rotate the wiper blade in the direction of
the arrow @¢
fig. 62 away from the wiper
arm .
.. Lift the w iper blade off in the direction of
the a rrow @.
Inst alling the wiper bl ade
.. Place the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the wiper arm in the
opposit e direc­
t ion to the arrow @¢
fig. 62 .
.. Squeeze the corrugation on the w iper until
yo u hear it clic k in the wipe r arm .
.. Fold the w iper arm back onto the wind­
shield. ..
Switch the ignition on and move the wipe r
lever down briefly¢
page 51, fig . 60 . The
w iper w ill move back to the park position.
_& WARNING
--
For your safety, you shou ld rep lace the
wiper b lades once or twice a year. See your
authorized Audi dealer for replacement
blades.
(D Note
- The wiper blades may only be changed
¢ page 53 in the service posit ion! Othe r­
w ise, you risk damag ing the pa int on the
front lid or the windshield wipe r motor.
- To help prevent damage to the w iper sys­
tem, always loosen blades wh ich are fro­
zen to the windshi eld before operating
w ipers.
- To help p revent damage to wiper blades,
do not use gaso line, kerosene, paint
t hinne r, or o ther solven ts on o r near the
w iper blades.
- T o help prevent damage to the w iper
arms or other components, do not at­
t empt to move the wipers by hand .
(D Tips
- Commercial hot waxes applied by a uto­
matic car washes affec t the cleanabili ty
o f the g lass s urface .
- T he front w iper blades are different
lengths; t he b lade on t he drive r's side is
longer .