2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER Owners Manual

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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. ..,.

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With the door contact circuit, the interior lights
turn on as soon as you unlock the veh icl e or open
the doors . The interior lights are also turned on
when the ignition key is removed . The lights turn
off about 30 seconds afte r the doors are closed .
When the veh icle is locked or when the ignition is
turned o n, the inter ior lights are turned off .
When a door is open , the interior lights are
turned off after about 10 m inutes to preven t bat­
tery draining .
T he brightness of the lights is controlled a uto­
mat ica lly by a d immer when they a re sw itched
on/off.
Instrument panel illumination
T he illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted .
Fig . 59 In strument pa nel ill uminatio n
You regulate the brightnes s of the ins truments
with the left th umbwhee l
C:1 i::;,fig. 59.
Ign ition ON , light switch at @
With the ignition switched ON, the glow of in ­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or d immer .
Ignition ON , light switch at :oo~ or tD .
With the lights sw itched on, the brightness of in­
strument cluster (i.e. needles, gauges and dis­
plays) a nd center console il lum ination ca n be ad ­
justed .
(D Note
The instrument cluster and center console il­
lum inat io n (gauges and needles) comes on
when you sw itch on the ig nitio n and the
ve hi-
Cle ar vi sion
cle headlight s are off . Be aware of the fo llow ­
ing difference between models b uilt to US or
Canadian specif ications:
- USA models: ill umination of the i nstr ument
cl uster (gauges and need les) , dash and cen­
ter console around the gearsh ift lever is
controlled by a light sensor located in the
instrument panel. The instrume nt pane l il­
lum ination w ill automatically become
dimme r as the daylight fades away and
eventua lly will go out comp letely when out­
side light is very low . Thi s is to rem ind you,
t he driver, to switch on t he headlights be­
fore it gets too dark .
- Cana da model s: instrument panel illumina­
t ion will s tay bright regar dless o f the inten­
si ty of ambien t light . Always be aware o f
changes in outside lig ht conditions while
you are driving. Respond in t ime to fading
daylight by turning the light sw itch to posi­
tion ~D (or "AUTO" if your car is equipped
w ith this feat ure) to turn on your head­
lights .
Luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the lug­
gage compa rtment .
These lights come on automatically when the
front lid is opened . The lights turn off automati­
c a lly if the lid is left o pen fo r more then 10 mi­
nutes .
Vision
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 60 Forward sect io n of driver 's armrest: pow er mirr or
con trol s ...
49

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.

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-If swallowed and person is conscious, rinse
mouth with water for at least 15 m inutes.
Do not induce vomit ing unless instructed to
do so by medical professional. Get medical
attent ion immed iate ly .
(D Note
Liquid electro lyte leaking from broken mirror
glass will damage any plastic surfaces it
comes in contact with. C lean up spilled elec­
trolyte immed iately w ith clean water and a
sponge.
@ Tips
- Switch ing off the dimming function of the
i nside rear view mir ror also deactivates the
a utomat ic dimming f unction of the exte rior
mir ro rs .
- The au tomatic d imm ing mir ro rs do not d im
when the interior lig hting is turned on or
t h e reverse gear is selecte d.
- Automat ic dimming for the m irror only op­
e rates p rope rly if t he lig ht st riking the in­
s id e mir ro r i s no t hindere d in any way.
Sun visors
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Fi g. 62 Su n viso r
The vanity mir rors in the sun visors a re eq uipped
with covers .
Clear vi sion
Wiper and washer
system
Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls bo th the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
Fi g. 63 W iper lever: w indshield w iper leve r posit ions
The w indshield wiper lever q fig . 63 has the fol­
lowing posit ions:
Intermittent wiping ~1 {act ivating rain
sensor)*
• Move the lever up to posit ion (D .
.,. Move the interval set switch@, to change the
intervals.
Low wipe r speed
.,. Move the lever up to posit ion @.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the lever up to posit ion @.
One-touch wiping
.,. Move the lever to position @, when you want
to w ipe the windshie ld
briefly .
Automatic wiper /washer
.,. Pull the lever to position ® (toward the steer­
ing wheel) and hold.
.. Release the lever. The washer stops and the
w ipers keep go ing fo r about four seconds.
Turning off the w iper s
.,. Move the lever back to position @ .
The w indshield w ipers and w ashe r only work
whe n the ign ition is turned on . If you sw itch off
t h e ignit ion with the windshield wiper lever sti ll .,..
51

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.

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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

Clear vision
... Rotate the w iper blade in the direction of the
arrow @c:>
fig. 65 away from the wiper arm.
... Lift the wiper blade
off in the direction of the
arrow @.
Install ing the wiper blade
" Place the rounded end of the wiper onto the
end of the wiper arm in the
oppo site direction
to the arrow @c:>
fig. 65.
"Squee ze the corrugation on the wiper until you
hear it click in the wiper arm .
" Fo ld the w iper arm back onto the windshield .
... Switc h the ignition on and move the wiper lever
down br iefly
c:> page 51, fig. 63 . The wiper w ill
move back to the park position .
_& WARNING
For your safety, you should replace the wiper
blades once or tw ice a year . See your a utho r­
ized Audi dea le r f or replacement b lades.
(D Note
- The wipe r blades may only be changed
c:> page 53 in the serv ice position! O ther­
wise, you r is k damaging the paint on the
front lid or t he windshie ld wiper motor.
- To he lp preven t damage to the wipe r sys ­
tem, a lways loosen blades which are frozen
to the windshie ld before ope rating wipers .
- To he lp prevent d amage to w iper blades, do
not use gaso line, kerosene, paint th inner, or
other solvents o n or near the wiper b lades.
- To he lp prevent damage to the wipe r arms
or other components, do not attempt to move the wipers by hand .
- Commerc ial hot waxes applie d by au tom atic
ca r washes affect the cleanability of the
glass surface .
- T he front wipe r blades a re d ifferent le ng ths;
the blade on the driver 's side is longer .
54
Digital compass
Activating or deactivating the compass
Applies to ve hicles: w ith d igital compass
Fig. 66 Insi de rea rv iew m irror: d ig ital co mpass activated
... To activate or deactivate, hold the @button
down until the red display appears o r disap­
pears .
The dig ital compass only works with the ignition
turned on . T he d irect ions are displayed as init ials:
N (North), NE (Northeast), E (East), SE (South ­
east),
S (South), SW (Southwest), W (West), NW
(Northwest).
The compass has to be recalibrated if the d isplay
i s wrong or inaccurate c:>
page 55.
@ Tips
-To avoid inaccurate directions, do not allow
any remote co ntro ls, electrical systems , or
meta l parts close to the mirror .
- Th e correct magnet ic deflection zone must
be set in order to display the directi ons cor­
rectly.