2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER ESP

Clear vision
Turn the knob to the desired position :
Q/P -In this position, you can adjust the driv­
er's and front passenger 's exterior mirrors by
turning the knob in the desired direction .
(@ -The mirrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature.
8 - The exterior mirrors fold in*
You are well-advised to fold the exterior mirrors in when maneuvering in tight spaces or when
leaving the car parked close to other vehicles.
A WARNING
-
- 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 mirror to est ima te
distances of following vehicles when chang­
ing lanes, you could estimate incorrectly
and cause an accident.
- If th e mirror housing is moved unintent ion­
a lly (for example, wh ile parking your vehi­
cle), then you must first fold the mirror
electrically. Do not readjust the mirror hous­
ing manually. You could damage the motor
which controls the mirror.
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Never fold power folding exterior mirrors*
by hand . Only fold them in and out using
the power controls.
(D Tips
If there should be a malfunction in the elec­
trical system, you can still adjust the exter ior
m irrors by pressing the edge of the mirror .
50
Dimming the mirrors
Fig. 61 Auto matic d immin g rearv iew mirror*
Manual anti-glare adjustment
.. Move the small lever (located on the bottom
edge of the mirror) to the rear .
Automatically dimming mirrors*
.. To dim the rearview m irror and both exterior
mirrors, press the@ button. The diode @
turns on . The rearview and exterior mirrors dim
automatically when light shines on them, for
example from headlights on a vehicle to the
rear.
A WARNING
Electrolyte fluid can leak from automatic dim­
ming mirrors if the glass is broken. Electrolyte
fluid can irritate skin, eyes and respiratory
system.
- Repeated or prolonged exposure to electro­
lyte can cause irritat ion to the respiratory
system, especially among people with asth­
ma or other respiratory conditions. Get
fresh air immediately by leaving the vehicle
or, if that is not possible, open windows and
doors all the way.
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, flush them
thoroughly with large amounts of clean wa­
ter for at least 15 minutes; medical atten­
tion is recommended .
- If electrolyte contacts skin, flush affected
area with clean water for at least 15 mi­
nutes and then wash affected area with
soap and water; medical attention is recom­
mended. Thoroughly wash affected clothing
and shoes before reuse.

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.

Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position.
To avoid contact wit h the airbag while it is de­
p loying, do not sit any closer to the instrume nt
panel than necessary and always wear the three ­
point safety belt provided adjusted correctly . We
recommend that you adjust the passenger's seat
i n the following manner:
"' Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upr ight
pos it ion.
Do not ride w ith the seat reclined .
"'T he idea l position fo r the head restra int is with
the upper edge of the rest ra int level with the
top o f you r head¢
page 58. Yo u should not
lower the top o f the restraint be low the level of
your eyes .
"' Place your feet on the f loor in front of the pas­
senger's seat.
Power seats
Adjustment switches
The operating logic for the switches corresponds
to the construction and function of the seat.
F ig . 68 Ad just men t sw it ches: locat ions on driver seat
The operating logic for the switches corresponds
to the const ruction, the design and the function
of the seat. Push or pull either switch in exactly
the same direction you want the corresponding pa rt of the seat to move .
Adjustment switches
~ (I) Adjusting the lumbar s upport
r--
~ @ Adjusting seat height and fore-and -aft posi-,....,
~ @ Adjusting the ang le of the seatback ,....,
S eat s and stor age
Power seat adjustment
The switches can be moved in various directions
to allow precise adjustment.
Read and heed all warnings before you adjust
your seat.¢ ,&..
Adju sting the cur vatur e of the lumbar
support
"' Push the forward or rear depression on the
sw itch shell (I)¢
page 5 7, fig. 68 to increase or
decrease the backrest curvature .
Adjusting the height of the lumbar support
"' Push the top or bottom depression on the
sw itch shell (I) to raise or lower the s upport in
the backrest.
Moving the front seat s forward or backward
"' Press the switch @forward or backwa rd hori­
zontally.
Ad justing the seat height
"' Pull or pus h the switch @eve nly at both ends
t o ra ise or lowe r the sea t.
Angling the seat cushion up and down
(front )
"' Pull or pus h the switch @at t he front only to
ra ise or lower the sea t.
Angling the seat cushion up and down (rear)
"' Pull or push the switch @at the rear o nly to
ra ise or lower the seat .
Adjusting the seatback
"' Push or pull the switch @ in the same direction
you want the seatback to t ilt.
A WARNING
--- Never adjust the driver's or front passenger
seat whi le the vehicle is moving. If you do
this whi le the vehicle is moving, you will be
ou t of position. Always ad just the d river 's o r
fr ont p assenge r seat w hen t he vehi cle is not
mov ing.
~
57

Seats and storag e
braking or in an accident -especially if the
airbag is dep loyed -these objects could in­
jure any passengers ins ide the vehicle.
Glove compartment
The glove comportment is illuminated and con
be locked.
F ig. 72 Glove compartment
.,. To open the glove compartment, pull the han­
dle in the direction of the arrow
9 fig. 72 and
swing the cove r down to open .
.,. To close the glove compartment, p us h the
glove compartment lid upward unti l the lock
engages.
The glove compartment light comes on as the parking or dr iving lights are switched on and the
compartment is opened. You will find a g lasses
case in the lid.
The glove compartment has a standard 12-volt socket for co nnecting e lectrica l accessories . The
power cons umption at the outlet must not ex­
ceed 100 watts . The socket works on ly with the
ignition switched on.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury in an acci­
dent o r sudden stop, a lways keep the glove
compartment closed wh ile driving .
Storage compartment in the front seats
Applies to veh icles: w ith storage compartment in the front
seats
There is a fold-out storage compartment in the
front of the seats.
60
.,. To open the storage compartment, lift the han ­
dle and pull the drawer out .
.,. To close the storage compartment, push the
drawer in completely until it latches.
(D Tips
The maximum carrying capacity 2.2 lbs.
(1 kg).
Storage compartments between the seat
backrests
The storage comportments ore illuminated and
con be locked with the vehicle key.
Fi g. 73 Storage compart men ts betwee n th e seat backrests
The CD changer * or t he A ud i M usic Interface* are
l ocated in the lowe r storage compartment .
.,. To open the upper storage compartment, fold
t he lid upward in the direc tion of the arrow@
9fig. 73 .
.,. To open the lower storage compartment, fold
the lid downward in the direction of the arrow
@ .
A WARNING -
Always keep t he storage compartments
closed when driving to help reduce the risk of i n jury.
(D Tips
Both lids m ust be closed in order to lock the
compartments.

..... 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

..... 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

throug h im perce ptib le contro l processes . The
damping provides individua l modulation of
damping forces. For example, with damping
characterist ics set to prov ide greater comfort,
damping is set somewhat harder for a brief peri­
od only as requ ired, when round ing a curve and
when braking .
Standard setting
Select the standard sett ing if you prefer a sus ­
pension setting emphasi zing comfort.
Sport s etting
Select the sport setting if you prefe r a spor ty sus­
pension setting. The LED in the button
[l] comes
on to indicate sport setting .
@ Tips
The warning/indicato r ligh t R in the instr u­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a mal­
function. Drive to the closest a uthorized Audi
dea ler as soon as possible and have the mal­
function repaired.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
B y care fully warming up and cooling down you r
veh icle, you can he lp ensure tha t it is not over ­
stressed unnecessarily du ring sporty driving.
W hen warming up , the veh icle is driven a t a max ­
i mum eng ine speed of 6 000 R PM
(Vl O engine) or
70 00 RPM (V8 engine) in order to raise the en ­
g ine oi l tempe ratu re to a minimum of 140 °F
(60 °() . The tires also only reach the ir full road
h olding capability once they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can continue to run in you r vehi ­
cle after the engine is switched off . However,
d riving the vehicle to cool it down is part icu larly
important. During sporty driving, the engine and
brakes, the exhaust system, and the transmission
all become extremely hot . Before you park the
ve hicle, you should dr ive it for a few m iles/kilo-
~ mete rs a t light load in the low rpm range to al-
~ low i t to cool down. "': ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
On th e road
Driving on a track
Befo re you take your veh icle o ut on a track, en­
s u re th at i t is in perfe ct condi tion. Fo r ex ample ,
yo u should chec k the tire trea d an d the bra ke
pads . It is bes t to inc rease tire pressu re by about
0 .3 bar.
W hen dr iving on a track , oil consump tion may be
somewhat higher than in "norma l" ope rat ion
¢ page 159 .
You should definitely inspec t your ve hicle afte r
s u bje cting it to seve re condi tions. Are the br ake
pads OK? Is there any thing unusua l about the
t ir es, including the inner and outer sidewalls (e .g.
tread , blistering)? A re the air intakes free of
l eaves and tire dust? Is the o il level OK?
Your a uth orized Audi dea ler or q ua lified wor k­
sho p will be happy to underta ke an inspection be ­
fore and after use on the race track .
A WARNING ._
Some race tracks (e.g. steeply banked turns)
may affect the response of t he ESC.
(D Tips
- Review the t rack requ irements and condi ­
tions befo re you sta rt driv ing.
- W hen d riven on a race track, all vehicle
parts are severe ly stressed. This can result
in increased wear .
73