..... N
r-N "': ..... \!) ..,.,
N ..,., .....
This is called the wind deflector position
¢ fig . 38 .
The rear w indow can be extended comp lete ly for
cleaning. This is ca lled the cleaning posit io n.
Extend ing the rear window into the w ind
deflector position
~ Pull and hold the rear window switch ¢ fig. 39.
~ Re lease the switch once the rear window has
reached the wind deflector position.
Extending the rear window into the cleaning
posit ion
~ P ull and hold t he rear window switch ~ fig. 39.
~ Release the switch once the rear window has
reached the wind deflector position.
~ Pull and hold the rear window switch again .
~ Pull and hold the convertible top switch within
one second
¢page 38, fig. 35.
Retracting th e rear w indow
~ Press and ho ld the rear window switch until the
window has been retracted .
Retracting the rear w indow using the one
touch fun ction
~ Press the rear window switch briefly . There is
no need to hold the switch.
The rear w indow can on ly be operated when the
ignition is switched on.
The rear w indow can also be extended or retract
ed when the convertible top is closed .
A WARNING
-Do not use the rear window to secure cargo
or othe r ob jects. This co uld res ult in inj ury .
- Always pay attention and be ca reful when
extend ing o r ret racting the rea r window.
It
cou ld cause injury by pinching.
(D Tips
- Keepi ng a ll of the w indows raised provides
the best wi nd p rotection .
- The v ehicle must be stat ionary to bring the
r ear w indow into the cleaning position. The
rear w indow w ill retract on ce you beg in driv
i ng.
Con vertible top
Convertible top
emergency operation
General information
The convertible top can be closed by hand if
there is a malfunction.
First check if overload protection is active
~ page 39. I f this is the case, the conve rtible top
will operate again after a short delay. Otherwise
the following s teps mus t be comp leted befo re
closing the convertible top :
~ Activate the parking brake.
~ Open the side windows , if necessa ry.
~ Remove the key from the igni tion .
~ Pull or p ress the convertib le top switch
¢
page 38, fig . 35 for approximate ly 10 sec
onds.
Emergency locking is not intended for long -term
u se or long dr ives. The convertib le top wi ll not be
complete ly waterproof afte r using the emergency
l ocking procedure because the seals wi ll not be
seated correctly. Only close the convertible top
manua lly in an emergency . P lease see an autho r
ized Audi R8 dealer to have the cause of the mal
funct ion corrected.
A WARNING
- The ignition must be sw itched off d uring the
entire clos ing pro cedure.
- When pos itioning the convertib le top, avoid
contact w ith the s upports o r other moving
pa rts. Otherwise you cou ld pinch your
hands .
- I f conve rtible top operation fails whe n
open ing or closing the top, do not hold o r
touch the supports or other moving pa rts
when releasing the pressure. The converti
b le top will sink down and co uld p inch your
hands.
- Never d rive when the convert ible top is not
locked correctly. The wind from dr iving
could cause the convertible top to open.
This can result in injuries and damage to the
veh icle. .,,.
41
.... N
l'
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
_& WARNING
When working in the engine compartment:
- Turn the engine off .
- Activate the parking brake.
- In vehicles with a manual transmission,
move the shifter lever into idle. In vehicles
with the R tronic transmission, move these
lector lever into the N position.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Keep children away from the engine com-
partment .
0 Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only open
the convertible top storage bay lid when the
engine compartment lid is closed.
Step 3: Remove the covers
Fig. 44 Convertible top: covers marked
. '
®Ir
! N .., a,
Fig. 45 Convertible top sto rage bay l id : removing the cover
The following steps must be performed on both
sides of the vehicle.
.,. Remove the bolt in the cover on the bottom
side of the storage bay lid using the open end
wrench from the vehicle tool kit@ c::>
fig. 45 .
Convertible top
.,. Move the cover up and down carefully until it
can be pulled downward from the teeth @.
Step 4: Lift the convertible top out
Fig. 46 Convertible top s torage bay: lifting the conver tible
top out
Fig. 47 W inds hield fra me: pressing the co nve rtible top for
ward
.,. Hold the convertible top at the @ point (arrow)
c::>
fig. 46 and raise it carefully c::> &, .
.,. Pull the convertible top all the way out in the
direction indicated @. Position the fins upward
at the same time .
.,. Press the convertible top as far forward toward
the windshield frame as possible c::>
fig. 47.
Have a second person assist when positioning the
convertible top. That person should stand on the
opposite side of the vehicle and perform the
same steps.
_& WARNING
-- When positioning the convertible top, avoid
contact with the supports or other moving
parts. Otherwise you could pinch your
hands.
- When pressing the convertible top down on
to the windshield frame, make sure that you
do not pinch yourself or anyone else.
43
.... N
l'
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
,&_ WARNING
-
Make sure the convertible top is locked cor
rectly. Otherwise the wind from driving could
cause the convertible top to open. This can re
sult in injuries and damage to the vehicle.
Step 7: Secure the fins on the body
Fig. 52 Convertib le top: pressing the fi ns downward
Fig. 53 Interior: tightening the bolt
The following steps must be performed on both
sides of the vehicle.
"'Press the fin downward firmly
9 fig. 52.
"'Hold the fin in this position and tighten the
bolt above the seat belt -arrow-using the Allen
wrench from the vehicle tool kit at the same
time
¢fig. 53.
A second person should assist when securing the fins to the body. Tightening the bolts is much
easier if a second person presses the fins down.
A WARNING
Make sure the fins lie on the body. Otherwise
the convertible top will not lock securely and
it could open while driving. This can result in
injuries and damage to the vehicle .
Convertible top
Step 8: Extend the rear window
Fig. 54 Upper storage compartment between the seat
backrests: extending the rear window
"' Press the Allen wrench from the vehicle tool kit
firmly into the opening until it clicks into place
9fig. 54.
"'Turn the bolt counterclockwise until the rear
window is extended. Press the rear window
back lightly while doing this.
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, make sure
the rear window is in the guide in the conver
tible top when extending the window and the
fins are secured on the body.
45
.... N
l'
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
The leavin g home function i lluminates the area
around the vehicle when un locking it .
A WARNING
-Never use daytime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright enough and w ill not let you see far enough
ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark . Be aware of changes in outside
light cond itions when you are dr iv ing and re·
spond by switching on your low beams.
- Automatic head· and taillight control is only
intended to assist the d river. This feature
does not relieve the driver of his responsibi l
ity to check t he headlights a nd to turn t hem
on manually according to the cur rent lig ht
and visibility conditions. For example, fog
and rain cannot be detected by the light
sensors. Consequent ly, always switch the
headlights on under these weather cond i·
tions and when dr iv ing in the da rk.
- Crashes can happen when yo u 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 lega l regulations when using
the light ing systems described .
@ Tips
-Always observe the specific local regulations
for your area when to use your lights.
- Turn on low beams as evening app roaches
or in conditions of poor visib ility.
- Do not attach stickers to the windshie ld in
front of the sensors as this can disab le the
automat ic head- and taill ight control and
the automatic glare-dimming of the rear·
v iew mirror(s) *.
- If you remove the ignit ion from the ign it ion
lock while the headlights are still on, a buz
zer w ill sound as long as the dr iver's door is
open to remind you to t urn off the lights .
- In the AUTO mode, the low beams are
turned off when the ignition is t urned off.
The remaining lights ar e turned off when
t h e key is taken ou t of the ignition.
Cle ar vi sion
-In cool or damp weather conditions the
head lights may fog
over temporarily on the
inside .
- The c ritical factor is the temperature dif
ference between the inter io r and the exte·
rior of the hea dlight lens .
- W ith the mai n beams switched on, the
lig ht-em itting area w ill be free of conden
sation after a short time, however the
e d ges of the glass may still be fogged.
- This physical phenomeno n has no effect
on the life of your veh icle's lighti ng sys
tem .
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
is used to operate the turn signals and the high
beam as well as the headlight flasher.
t
t
Fig . 56 Turn signal and high bea m leve r
The turn signa l and high beam lever has the fo l
lowing functions :
Turn signal s¢¢ ©@
.,. Push the lever up as far as it can go to t urn on
the right turn signa l or down to turn on the left
turn signal
q fig. 56.
.,. Move the lever br iefly u ntil you meet res istance
and re lease it to flash three times.
.,. Move the lever (up or down) until you meet re
sistance and hold it there to determine the
flash ing time fo r the turn signa ls .
High beam ~D @
.,. Push the lever forward to sw itch on the h igh
beam.
.,. Pull the lever back towards yo u to switch off
the high beam.
47
Clear vision
Headlight flasher ~D ©
.. Pull the lever toward the stee ring wheel to use
the headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
- The turn signals only work with the ignit ion
switched on. The ind icator lights
M or Ip] in
the instr ument cluster
q page 11 also b lin k.
- After you have turned a corner, the tur n signal
switches off automat ica lly.
- The
high beam works only when the headlights
a re on. The ind icator light
II i n the instrument
cluster illuminates when the high beams are
o n.
- The
headlight flasher wo rks only as long as you
ho ld the lever - even if the re are no lights
turned on. The indicator light
II in the instru
ment cluster illum inates when yo u use the
headlight flasher .
A WARNING
Do not use the high beam or headlight flasher
if you know that these could b lind oncom ing
traffic.
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer
gency situation.
SPORT •
Fig . 57 Cente r co nso le : em erge ncy flasher sw itc h
• Press the switch~ q fig. 5 7 to switch the
emergency flasher on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, a ll four turn
sig nals blink at the same time. The tu rn s ignal in
d icator lights
B II in the instrumen t cl uste r, as
well as t he lig ht in the emergency f lasher switch
48
~ b link likewise. The emergency flas hers also
work when the ignition is turned off .
The emergency flasher will automatically switch
on if you a re in an acciden t w here the a irbag has
deployed .
{I) Tips
You should sw itch on the emerge ncy flashe r
when:
- you a re the las t veh icle standing in a t raff ic
jam so th at any other vehicle s com ing can
see you, or when
- yo ur vehicle has b roken dow n or y ou are in
an eme rgency s itu ation, or whe n
- yo ur vehicle is be ing towed by a tow tru ck or
i f yo u a re towin g ano th er vehicle behind
yo u.
Interior Lights
Interior lights
The interior lights include the reading lights for
the driver and the front passenger .
Fig. 58 Sect ion from headliner: Interior lights
Activating door contact circuit
• Press the button @. The LED in the b utton illu
m inates.
Deact ivating door cont act circuit
• Press th e button @. The LED in the button goes
out .
Front r eading light s «~
.. Press one of the switches® to turn the right or
left reading light on/off. ..,.
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.
.... N
l'
N "1: .... I.O
"' N
"' ....
Service position
It is only possible to change wiper blades if you move the wiper arms to the service position .
In order to use the windshield wipers, the front
lid must be completely closed.
Moving wiper bla de s to th e serv ice positi on
• When there is a risk of frost, make sure that the
wiper blades are not frozen to the windshield.
• Switch the ignition on.
• Move the wiper lever to position
O i:> page 51,
fig. 63.
• Press the
!RESE T I button unt il the Di spla y ty pe
menu appears in the Driver Information System
display .
• Usi ng the rocke r switch a nd the
!RESET I b utton,
select the
Se t> Wip ers > Fr ont > S ervi ce pos i
ti on on
function. The windshie ld wiper arms
move to the service position.
Moving wi per blades to park position
• Make ce rtain that the wiper arms are lying
against the w indshie ld.
• Switch the ignition on and move the w iper lever
from position Oto
4 i:> page 51, fig. 63 . The
wiper arms will move back to the park position.
(D Note
Never drive yo ur vehicle when the windshield
wiper arms are in the service position and
pulled away from the windshield. When you
drive faster than 4 mph (6 km/h), the wiper
arms automatically return to the park posi
tion and could cause paint damage to the
front lid!
(D Tips
- You can also turn on the service pos ition, for
example, if you want to protect the wind
sh ield from ic ing by using a cover .
- The service position moves to
off automati
cally when you operate the windshield w iper
lever, or speed exceeds 4 mph (6 km/h) .
Clear vi sion
Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Clean the windshie ld w iper b lades when they be
gin to leave strea ks. Use a soft cloth and g lass
cleaner to clean t he windshie ld w iper blades.
• Place the windshie ld w iper arms in the service
position. Refe r to
c> page 53.
• Lift the wiper a rm away from the front window .
& WARNING
-
Dirty windsh ield wiper b lades can impair your
view. This can lead to accidents.
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear.
F ig. 6 4 Unlatching wiper blades
Fig. 65 Removing wiper blades
Remo ving the wiper bl ade
• Move the wipers to the service position
i=>page53.
.,. Fold the windshield wiper arm away from the
glass .
• On the upper end of the wiper arm at the corru
gation, squeeze the plastic retainer together on
bo th s ides in the direction of the arrow
i=>fig . 64. ..,_
53