2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER stop start

Clear vision
in the interval wipe position and then come back
a while later and drive off, the rain sensor will re­
activate itself after the vehicle speed has exceed­
ed 4 mph (6 km/h).
The rain sensor* is only activated with the wiper
lever set to position(!). When it starts to rain,
the rain sensor will automatically activate the in­
termittent wiping mode.
To reduce the sensitivity of the sensor, move
switch @ down. To increase the sensitivity, move
the switch up. The higher you adjust the sensitivi­
ty, the faster the sensor will react when it senses moisture on the windshield. The pauses between
wiper turns depend not only on the sensitivity setting, but on the vehicle speed as well.
During brief stops, e.g . at a red light, wiper mo­
tion will automatically be reduced to the next
lower speed . Wipers already turning at low speed
change to intermittent wiping.
When the ignition is turned on, the washer jets
are heated.
A WARNING
- Wiper blades are crucial for safe driving! On­
ly when they are in good condition are they
able to clear the windows properly to pro­
vide uncompromising visibility. Worn or
damaged wiper blades are a safety hazard
¢ page 53, Replacing windshield wiper
blades!
- The light/rain sensor* is only designed to as­
sist and support the driver. It remains en­
tirely the driver's responsibility to monitor outside weather conditions and to manually
activate the wipers as soon as rain or drizzle
reduces visibility through the windshield .
- The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can increase
glare under poor visibility conditions such as
wetness, darkness, or when the sun is low
on the horizon . In addition, they can cause
the windshield wipers to chatter.
(D Note
In freezing or near freezing conditions:
52
- Always check that the wiper blades are not
frozen to the glass before you turn the wip­
ers on. Loosen a wiper blade which is frozen
in place before operating the wipers to pre­
vent damage to the wiper blade or the wiper
motor .
- Do not use the wipers to clear a frosted win­
dow. Using the wipers as a convenient ice
scraper will destroy the wiper blades .
- Before you take your vehicle to an automatic
car wash, make sure you have the wind­
shield wiper system switched off (lever in position
0), otherwise the windshield wiper
system could get damaged in the car wash if
it should suddenly come on.
(D Tips
- The windshield wipers are switched off
when the ignition is turned off. Activate the
windshield wipers after the ignition is
switched back on by moving the windshield
wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or dirty windshield wiper blades cause
smearing, which can affect the operation 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 de­
activate the rain sensor . To reactivate the
sensor, switch off the interval wiping func­
tion, then switch it back on again.
- Applies to vehicles with light/rain sensor:
When the wipers are switched on manually
and in rain conditions, the automatic head­
lights* turn on <=>
page 46, Lights or off dur­
ing the day when the wipers are no longer
operating. The automatic headlights* func­
tion is available in this case only when the
light switch is in the "AUTO" position
<=>
page 46, fig. 55.
- Make sure the washer fluid reservoir in the
engine compartment is topped off before
going on a long trip. Look up<=>
page 168
for checking and filling the washer contain­
er.
- The wipers only operate with the hood com­
pletely closed.

On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continuously
adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 76 Lever u nde r the stee rin g co lumn
... Push the lever ¢ fig. 76 down ¢ _&.. .
... Move the steering wheel to the desired posi­
tion .
... Push the lever against the steering column un-
til it locks .
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steering
wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 inches (25
cm) from the steering wheel, see if adaptive
equipment is ava ilable to help you reach the ped­
als and increase the distance from the steering
wheel.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 57.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri­
ous pe rsonal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or stee ring wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 inches (25
cm) between your chest and the steering
wheel¢
page 87, fig. 100. If you cannot
maintain this min imum distance, the airbag
system cannot protect you proper ly.
66
- If physical limitations prevent you from sit­
ting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from the steering wheel, check with your authorized
Audi dealer to see if adaptive equipment is
available.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental dr iver's airbag can­
not p rov ide as much protection in an acci­
dent. Always make sure that the steering
wheel is aligned 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 persona l injury if
the dr iver's airbag dep loys.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel h ub. Holding the steering wheel the
wrong way can cause serious injuries to the hands, arms and head if the driver's airbag
deploys.
Ignition Lock/Ignition
switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig. 77 Ign it ion lock posit ions
Ignit ion off CD
In position ¢ fig. 77 (D both the ignition and en­
gine are off, and the steering is locked.
To
l ock the steering after you have removed the
ignition key, t urn the steering wheel in either di­
rection until you hear it lock into place. You
should always lock the steering whenever you .,.

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) 1.1"1
N 1.1"1 .....
leave your vehicle . This makes vehicle theft even
more difficu lt
c::> & .
Ign ition on @
After switching the ignition on, the needles move
all the way up and then down.
If it is difficult to turn the key after you have in­
serted it into the ign ition lock, turn the steering
wheel back and forth. This w ill take the load off
the steering lock mechanism and you will be able
to turn the key freely and start the engine.
Starting the engine @
In this position the engine starts . Wh ile the en­
g ine is starting, the power supply to the head­
l ights and other elect rical consume rs is tempo ra­
ri ly inte rrupted to conserve battery power . After
the engine has started, re lease the key and it will
return to position @.
Before the sta rter can be opera ted again the key
m ust be t urned back to position (!). The
n on-re ­
pe at lo ck
prevents you from damaging the start­
er when the engine is running .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ignition lock
wh ile the vehicle is mov ing. The steer ing
wheel will lock causing loss of control.
- If you have to leave your vehicle - even for
just a min ute - a lways remove the ignit ion
key and take it with you. This is espec ially
important if you are going to leave ch ildren
behind in the veh icle . The ch ildren could
start the engine o r use other veh icle con­
t ro ls. Unsuperv ised use of vehicle controls
( f or example, power windows) can c ause se­
rious persona l injuries .
@ Tips
If the veh icle battery has been d isconnected
and then reconnected, then yo u m ust leave
t he key in posit ion @ for abou t 5 seconds be­
fore you can start the engine .
On the road
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your original
Audi key.
On vehicles with S tronic*, the engine can be
sta rted in the neutra l position N and in each gear
(1 - 7 and R).
.,. Set the park ing brake
c::> .&_ .
.,. On veh icles with manual transmiss ion*, fully
dep ress the clutch peda l.
.,. Press and hold the bra ke peda l.
.,. Tu rn the ignition key to posit ion @
c::> page 66,
fig. 77 -do not depress the gas pedal when
starting the engine.
.,. Let go of the key as soon as the engine starts -
the starter m ust not cont inue to run. On
veh ides with S tronic, se lect gear position N .
A cold engine may at first be loud afte r it has
been started. This is due to the hydraulic valves
building up the oil pressure. This is normal and
no need for concern .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine about 30 seconds later .
A WARNING
--
-Never start or let the eng ine run in a con­
f ined or enclosed area. Exhaust fumes from
the eng ine contain carbon mo noxide, a co l­
o rl ess and odo rless gas. Carbon monoxide
can be fatal if i nhaled .
- Never leave the engine id ling unattended .
A n unattended ve hicl e w ith a running en­
g in e poses a dange r of pe rsonal inj ury or
theft .
- W ith the engine r unning and a gear engag ­
ed, you have to ho ld the vehicle wi th the
foot b rake .
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine speeds, fast acceleration
o r heavy engi ne loads whi le the engine is
st il l c old . T his could d amage t he engine.
67

On the road
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or
towing the vehicle .
@I For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary eng ine wear and to re­
duce exhaust emissions , do not let your vehi ­
cle stand and warm up. Be ready to drive
off
immediately after starting your vehicle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicle s wi th S tron ic*, the engine can be
turned
off in the neutral position N and in each
gear (1 -7 and R) .
.. Tu rn the ignition key to posit ion (!) co
page 66,
fig. 77 .
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and servotronic only work
when the eng ine is running . W ith the igni ­
t ion turned
off , you have to apply more force
when steering or braking. Since you cannot
steer and stop normally , this can lead to ac­
c idents and serious injuries .
(D Note
-If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up
i n the eng ine compartment after the engine
i s switched
off -there is a r isk of damag ing
the engine . A llow the engine to continue to
run at id le for a short time or drive until it
has coo led down before you turn it off
q page 73.
-If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, it can become
extremely hot . You should not park your ve­
hicle over easily combustible objects or
areas (e .g . grass or leaves) . There is a risk of
starting a fire .
{!) Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the ra­
diator fan can continue to run for up to 10 m i­
nutes - even w ith the ignition switched
off . It
68
can also switch on again after some time if
the coo lant temperature rises as the result of
heat bu ildup or if the engine compartment is
heated by the sun's rays and the engine is hot .
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the ve­
hicle from rolling away unintentionally.
Fig . 78 C ente r co nsol e: Park ing bra ke set
S etting th e pa rking brak e
.. Pull th e parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing the p arkin g brake
.. Pull the parking brake lever up slightly and
press the release button at the same time
c::> fig . 78 -arrow- .
.. Keep the release button pressed and lower the
parking brak e
q &_.
If you shou ld drive off with the parking bra ke st ill
set, a warning tone will sound and the fo llow ing
message wi ll appear in the instrument cluster to
r e mind you to release the parking brake:
H and brake i s appli ed
T he park ing brake warn ing comes on only after
you have driven for longer than 3 seconds and
faster than 3 mph (5 km/h) .
The parking brake warning ligh t. (USA)/ .
(CON) illuminates whe n the park ing brake is set
and you sw itch on the ign it ion .

..... N
r-­N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
A WARNING
-=
Always release t he parkin g brake completely.
A part ially engaged brake will over heat th e
rear brakes, reduce their effect iveness and
cause excess ive wear. This could lead to brake
fai lure and an accident.
([) Note
Only after the ve hicle has come to complete
stop, sho uld you firmly set the parking brake
and move the gearshift lever into a gear.
Parking
Parking
~ Stop t he vehicle using the brake pedal.
~ Set the parking b ra ke firmly.
~ Swi tch off the engine.
~ Move t he se lecto r lever into the P pos ition ( au­
tomatic t ransmis sion )
or move the gearshift
lever into 1st . gear
(manual transmission )
c:>.&_ .
~ When on incl ines or declines, turn the steering
whee l so that t he vehicle w ill roll into the curb
if it beg ins to move .
A WARNING
This is how yo u can reduce the risk of in jury
w hen leav ing you r vehicle.
-
- Never park the vehicle whe re it ca n come i n
co ntact wi th dry g rass, spilled fuel or a ny
other flammable mater ials.
- Never allow anyone - especially small chi l­
dre n -to remai n in t he vehicle when it is
locked. Locke d doors ma ke i t mo re d iff icult
for rescuers to access the passenger com­
partment in the event of an emergency .
Dange r to life!
- Never leave c hildren unsupervised in the ve ­
hicle. C hildren cou ld re lease the par king
brake or move the gearshift lever out of
gear. The vehicle could sta rt to roll away and
cause an accident .
- No matter what the season is, the tempera­
ture in a parked veh icle can reach dangerous
levels.
On th e road
Starting on hills
Applies to vehicles: wit h hill ho ld assist
Hill ho ld assist makes it eas ier to sta rt on hills.
The system is activated when the brake peda l is
depressed
for a few seconds .
After releasing the brake pedal, the b rake power
is he ld for a
brief moment to prevent the vehicle
from rol ling back when starting . At this time, you
can eas ily beg in to move your vehicle.
A WARNING
- I f you did not begin moving imme diate ly af­
ter re leasi ng the b ra ke peda l, unde r ce rtain
cir cumstan ces, the vehicle w ould beg in to
roll bac kward. Depress t he brake pe dal im­
mediately or engage the hand brake.
- Should t he e ngine sta ll, dep ress the brake
pe dal immed iately or enga ge the hand
b rake.
- I n or der to preven t the vehicle from roll ing
back unintentionally when s tarting in s top ­
and-go traffic, keep the brake pe dal de­
pressed for a few seconds before driving off.
(D Tips
You can find o ut if yo ur vehicle is eq uipped
wi th "Hill hold ass ist" at an autho riz ed Au di
d ealersh ip.
Speed warning system
Speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to keep your
driving speed below a set speed limit .
The speed warn ing system warns the driver if he
exceeds a previously stored max imum speed. A
warning tone will sound as soon as the veh icle
speed exceeds the set speed by about
3 mph
(3 km/h) . At the same t ime, a warning symbo l
appea rs i n the display .
The speed warn ing system has
two warn ing
thre sholds
tha t function independe ntly of each
othe r and t hat have somewhat d iffe rent pu rpos­
es:
69

.... N
l'­
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
To store maximum speed
•Turnoff the ignit ion.
• Briefly press the button in the instrument clus ­
ter
9 page 70, fig. 79. The odometer and the
digital clock are now illuminated.
• Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The cur­
rently stored maximum speed appears in the
display
or the crossed out symbol for warning
threshold 2, if no maximum speed was set pre­
viously.
• Press the function selector sw itch in the wiper
lever @r=>
fig. 80 up or down to change the set
val ue. Values run up or down in steps of 6 mph
(10 km/h).
To delete maximum speed
•Turnoff the ignition .
• Briefly press the button in the instrument clus­
ter
9 page 70, fig. 79 . The odometer and the
digital clock are now illum inated.
• Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The cur­
rently stored maximum speed appears in the
display.
• Press the
iRESETI button in the wiper lever @
r:=> fig. 80 until the crossed out speed warning
symbol for warning threshold 2 appears in the
display.
A few seconds after the adjustment is completed,
the illumination for the odometer and the digital
clock w ill go out.
@ Tips
This warning threshold can also be controlled
through the trip computer
r=> page 23, Navi­
gating the menu.
On the road
Cruise control
Switching the system on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph (30kmlh).
Fig. 81 Contro l lever with set button
• Pull the lever to position (Dr=> fig . 81 to switch
the system on .
• Drive at the speed you wish to set.
• Press button @to set that speed.
The display may vary depending on the type of
display in your vehicle. The indicator light
(lj;jl)~i~ (US model)/ . (Canadian model) will al­
so light up in the instrument cluster.
A WARNING
--
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are al­
ways responsible for your speed and the dis­
tance between your veh icle and other
veh icles.
- For safety reasons, the cruise control should
not be used in the city, in stop-and -go traf­
fic, on twisting roads and when road condi­
tions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel,
heavy rain and hydroplaning) -risk of acci­
dent .
- T urn off the cruise control temporarily when
entering turn lanes, highway exit lanes or in
construction zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is be­
cause the cruise control is overridden by the
driver's acce lerat ion.
71

Transmission
Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
Applies to vehicles: with manua l transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the way
before you can start the engine .
The manual transmission in your Audi is equipped
with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in Neu­
tral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears. Do not hold the vehicle on a
hill with the clutch pedal partially depressed.
This may cause premature clutch wear or
damage.
(D Tips
- Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift into
Reverse with the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
App lies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 83 Gearshift pattern: 6-speed manual transm iss ion
Drive in 6th gear for optimum fuel economy
when cruising. However, if more acceleration is
required (when passing, for examp le), sh ift
down.
74
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down, then push it backward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehicle
completely, shift into
Neutral and rest the shift
l ever briefly in Neutral before shifting into
Re­
verse.
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles : wit h VlO engin e and manual t ra nsmissio n
The Launch Control Program enables maximum
acceleration.
Requirement: The engine must be at operat ing
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
• With the engine running, press the button
l:fil
one time. The ESC indicator light II in the
Dr iver Informat ion System display illum inat es
and the message
ESC sport -Warning! Re­
stricted stability appears .
• Press the clutch and hold it down.
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator pedal all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at 6500
RPM .
• Release the clutch carefully~,&. .
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and traf-
fic conditions allow it and other drivers will
not be endange red or annoyed by your driv­
ing and the vehicle's acceleration .
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can break away when ESC is
sw itched off, especially when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESC back on by pressing the but­
ton
00 .
(D Tips
- When accelerating using the Launch Control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to .,..

Transmi ssio n
rotation of the whee ls, then the time wi ll in­
crease a ccording ly .
A WARNING
- If a gear is engaged when the vehicle is sta­
tionary, the acce lerator must not be pressed
inadvertently under any circumstances. Oth­
erwise the vehicle will immed iately start to
move - sometimes even if the park ing brake
is f irmly applied.
- Before you or other persons open the engine compartment l id and work on a running en­
gine, select neutral pos it ion
N and firmly
apply the handbra ke. Always read and fol­
low the app licab le warn ings¢
page 155,
Working in the engine compartment.
@ Tips
- If you accidenta lly shifted into N w hile d riv­
i ng, you can engage a gear in the normal
way using the selecto r lever.
- An indicator light i s displayed if a malfunc­
tion occurs while in S tronic. Refer to
~page 78.
Manual mode
App lies to veh icles: w ith 5 tro nic
S tronic allows the driver to shift gears man ua lly.
Starting from a stop
.,. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.. Move the selecto r leve r to the left.
.. Tap the se lec tor lever forwa rd
0 -
.. Re lease the brake pedal and press the accelera -
tor pedal ¢ .&,. .
Shifting
.,. To shift up, tap the selector lever fo rward 0 -
.,. To shift down, t ap the sele ctor lever to the re ar
o.
Stopp ing temporarily
.,. Press the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle
from moving, for examp le at traff ic lights .
Par king
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢.&,. .
76
.. Activate the parking brake .
.. Turn off the ignition and remove the key .
Stopping on an incline
.,. Always keep the vehicle stat ionary using the
foot brake to prevent it from " rolling back"
¢ .&,. . D o not try to p revent the vehicle from
"ro lling back" when a gear is engaged by in ­
creasing engine speed.
.. Activate the parking brake.
Starting on a hill
.. With a gear engaged, remove your foot from
the brake, accelerate and slowly release the
parking brake.
When acce lera ting, S tronic sh ifts i nto the nex t
gear in gea rs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 shor tly befo re
the maximum permissib le engine speed is
r eached.
If you have se lec ted a lower gear than the current
one, S tron ic w ill shift down only when the engine
will not be ove r-revved.
You can switch to a utomat ic operation at any
time
¢ page 77.
A WARNING
-
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
ru nning while in gear. If you must leave yo ur
vehicle with the engine r unning, set the
parking brake firmly and engage neutral
N .
- With the engine r unning and a gear engag­
ed, you have to ho ld the vehicle with the
foot brake .
- Do not accelerate when you sh ift gears with
the vehicle stationary and the engine run­ ning.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and sh ift into a lower gear with S
tronic.
- Do not ride the bra kes or press the bra ke
pedal too often or too long. Constant brak­
ing causes the brakes to overheat and sub­
stantially reduces brak ing performance, in­
creases braking d istance or causes comp lete
fa ilu re of the brake system. ..,.