2015 AUDI R8 SPYDER sport mode

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heavy loads. This can result in increased
wear .
- The Launch Control Program only funct ions
when the parking brake is released and the
vehicle speed is less than 3 mph (5 km/h).
S tronic
Description
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Fig. 84 Shift pattern
Fig. 85 Display : selected gea rs
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically­
controlled manual transmission called S tronic .
Two independent clutches transfer the power be­
tween the eng ine and transmission. They replace
the torque converter used in conventional auto­
mat ic transmissions and allow the vehicle to ac­
celerate without a noticeable interruption in trac­
tion .
The selected mode of operation, the gear engag­ ed and the sport function are shown in the Dr iver
Information System display ¢
fig. 85.
M -Manual operation
In this operating mode, you shift the forward
gears using the selector lever
r=>v page 76 or the
Transmission
shift paddles on the multifunction steering wheel
¢ page 78.
A - Automatic operation
In this operating mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load and
vehicle speed
¢ page 77.
R- Reverse
Only s hift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is runn ing at idle
speed ¢
Li')...
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selector lever to the right
and t ip it towards
R. In reverse gear, the backup
lights illuminate when the ignition is on .
N -Neutral
To engage neutral, you have to move the selector
lever to the left or to the right . If reverse gear is
engaged,
move the selector lever to the left . If a
forward gea r is engaged, move the selector lever
to the right.
Sport function
The sport function is switched on by pressing the
I SPORT ! button on the selector lever cover . Up ­
shifting at a higher RPM makes full use of the en­
gine's power . Shift time is decreased and acceler­
ator pedal response is improved . In addition, in
manua l operation the engine does
not shift au to­
matically into the next gear before it has reached
the maximum permissible engine speed. In auto ­
matic operation, upshifting continues automati­
cally.
P -Automatic parking lock
The automatic parking lock is engaged immedi­
ately after you remove the key. The automatic
parking lock is also engaged if you turn off the
engine while in the A, R, or manual mode posi­
tions .
If you turn off the engine while in the N position
and leave the vehicle key in the ignition, the
transmission remains in the N position for ap­ proximately 20 minutes and then activates the
automatic parking lock . If vehicle movement is
detected within that 20 minutes based on
IIJI.
75

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(D Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in p lace with the foot brake to pre­
vent it from rolling back. Do not try to prevent the vehicle from rolling back when the gear is
engaged by increasing speed, as this may
damage the clutch.
Automatic mode
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
St arting fro m a stop
"' Press and hold the brake pedal.
"' Tap the se lector lever towards A.
"' Re lease the brake pedal and press the accelera-
tor pedal
¢ ,&. in Manual mode on page 76.
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficia l to
switch temporarily to the manual shift program
¢
page 76 in order to adjust the gear ratios to
driving conditions
manually.
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, S tronic downsh ifts into a
lower gear, depending on vehicle speed and en­
g ine rpm. It shifts up into the next higher gear
once the maximum specified engine RPM is reached . Exception: you have activated the sport
function.
.&, WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slic k or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
l) Market -spec ifi c
-
Tra nsm issio n
Launch control program
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
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
I!]!
!ESC OFFjll button one time . The Ill indicator
light and the message
ESC S port - Cau tion!
Limi ted stabil ity! appears in the driver infor­
mation system display.
"' Press the brake pedal with your left foot and
hold it down.
"' Engage a gear.
"' Press the
I SPORT ! button on the selecto r lever
cover.
"' Press the accelerator pedal at the same time
with your right foot unti l the engine has
reached a constant speed.
"' Remove your left foot from the brake¢.&_ .
A WARNING
--
- Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic cond itions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin
and the vehicle can b reak away when ESC is
sw itched off, espec ial ly when the road is
slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you sho uld
sw itch the ESC back on by pressing the
[fil
but ton.
(D Tips
- The tra nsmission temperature may increase
signif icant ly afte r using the Launch Contro l
Program. If that happens, the program may
not be availab le for a few minutes . It wi ll be
available again after a cool-down period .
77

Transmission
-When acce le rat ing using the Launch Cont ro l
program, all vehicle pa rts are subject to
heavy loads. T his can result in increased
wear.
Steering wheel with shift paddles
App lies to veh icles: with S tron ic
The shift paddles allow you to select gears man­
ually on the steering wheel.
F ig . 8 6 Steer ing w heel: shi ft padd les
• To downshift, press t he paddle on the left 0 -
• To upsh ift, p ress the padd le on the right G) .
You ca n continue to use the manual s hift pro ­
g ram with the se lector lever in the cente r con­
sole.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles : with S tro nic
l'§J Transmis sion : please press the brake pedal
and select the position again
Press th e brake pedal a nd se lect the desi red se­
lec to r l eve r pos it io n aga in. Yo u can then continue
d riving.
[O] Transmission too hot: please modify driving
style
The transmission temperature has increased sig­ n ificant ly due to the spo rty dr iv ing man ner . Drive
i n a less sporty manner u nti l t h e temperature re­
t ur ns to the normal rang e and the indicator light
sw itches of.
[i1 Transmi ssion : System malfunction! You may
continue driving
There is a system ma lfunction in the transmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your au-
78
thorized Audi dea ler or q ua lif ied repa ir facility
soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[o.Jij Transmission: Sy stem malfunction ! You
may continue driving in A until you turn the en ­
gine off .
There is a system malfunc tion i n the trans mis­
s io n. The tran sm iss ion i s swi tchi ng to eme rgency
mode. Drive to your author ized A udi dealer or
q ualified repair facili ty imme diate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
l'§J Transmission : System malfunction ! Driving
ability is restricted
There is a system malfunct ion in the t ransmis­
s io n. The t ransm iss ion is swit ching to eme rgency
m ode. Thi s mo de onl y shifts in to ce rtain ge ars or
will no l onger shi ft at all. The eng ine may st all.
D rive to your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
repair fac ility immediately to have t he malfunc­
tion corrected.
[oJ;j Transmission: System malfunction ! Driv­
ing ability is restricted. No reverse gear
There is a system malfun ction i n the trans mis­
s ion . The tran sm iss ion i s swi tchi ng t o em ergency
mode. T his mode o nly shifts in to cer tain gears or
will no longer shift at all . The eng ine may stall.
You cannot e ngage the reverse gea r. Drive to yo ur
aut ho rized Aud i dea ler or q ualified repa ir facility
i mmediately t o have the malfunct ion corrected.
[i1 Risk of rolling! P not pos sible. Please set the
parking brake
- Th e parking lo ck was re le ase d using the eme r­
gency rele ase
~ page 7 9 . O r
- Th e parking lo ck can no l onge r be engage d.
Dr ive t o your authoriz ed Audi de aler or q uali­
fie d repair f acili ty immedia tely to have the ma l­
fu nction cor rected.
• Transmission : System malfunction ! Stop
the vehicle
Do no t con tinue dr iving . Tur n off the ignition and
contact your nea rest author ized Audi d eal er for
ass ista nce.
There is a serious system malfunct ion. Continu -
i ng to dr ive could result in s ubsequent damage. .,.

Child Safety
the safety belt for the front seat passenge r
measures the tension on the be lt . T he inp ut from
this sensor is then used w ith the weight to "de­
cide", whether there is a child restra int w ith a
t ypical 1 year-old child on the front passenger
seat and whether or not the airbag must be
turned off .
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the chi ld restraint that you use,
make sure that it has been ce rtified to meet Un it ­
ed States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
and has been certified by its manufact urer for
use with an airbag. If in exceptional circ umstan­
ces yo u must use it on the front passenger seat,
caref ully read all of the information on child safe­
ty and Advanced Airbags and heed all of the ap­
plicable WARNINGS . Make certain that the child
restraint is correctly recognized by the we ight­
sensing mat ins ide the front passenger seat, that
the front passenger a irbag is tu rned off and that
the airbag status is a lways correctly signaled by
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light .
Many types and models of c hild restra ints have
been ava ilable ove r the years, new models a re in­
troduced regu larly incorporat ing new and im ­
p roved des igns and o lder models are taken out o f
p rod uction. Child rest raints are not standardized.
Chi ld restraints of the same type typically have
d ifferent weights and sizes and different 'foot­
prints,' the si ze and shape of the bottom of the
child restraint that sits on the seat, when they
are installed on a veh icle seat . These differences
make it v irtually impossible to certify compliance
with the requ irements for advanced ai rbags with
each and eve ry child rest raint that has ever been
sold in the past or will be sold ove r the course of
the useful life of your vehicle.
For this reason, the United States Nat iona l H igh­
way Traffic Safety Admin istration has p ublished a
lis t of specific type , makes and models o f chi ld
restraints that m ust be used to certify comp li­
ance of the Advanced Airbag System in your vehi­
cle with the suppression requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208. These chi ld
restraints are:
124
Subpart A - Car b ed child restra ints
Model Manufactured on or
after
Angel Guard Angel September 25, 2007 Ride AA2403FOF
Subpart B -Rear -facing child restraint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Century SmartFit 4543 December 1, 1999
Cosco Arriva September 25, 2007
22 -013PAW and base
22-999WHO
Evenflo Discovery Adjust December 1, 1999
Right 2 12
E venf lo First Choice 204 December 1, 1999
Graco Infant 8457 December 1, 1999
Graco Snug ride September 25, 2007
Peg Perego Pr imo Viag- September 25, 2007
gio SIP I MUNOOUS
Subpart C - Forward-facing and convertible
child re straint s
Model Manufactured on or
after
Britax Roundabout September 25, 2007
E9L02xx
Cosco Tou riva 025 19 December 1, 1999
Cosco Summit Deluxe September 25, 2007 H igh Back Booster
22 -262
Cosco High Back Booster September 25, 2007
22-209
Evenflo Tribute V September 25, 2007
379xxxx
Evenflo Meda llion 254 December 1, 1999
E venflo Generations September 25, 2007
352xxxx
Graco ComfortSport September 25, 2007
Graco Todd ler Safety
September 25, 200 7
Seat Step 2
Graco Platinum Cargo September 25, 2007

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Anti-loc k br aking sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up when
brak ing . T he vehicle can st ill be stee red even dur ­
ing hard braking. App ly steady pressure to the
brake peda l. Do not pump the peda l. A pulsing in
the brake pedal indicates that the system is help­
ing you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist sy ste m
The brake assist system can decrease braking dis ­
tance. It increases braking power when the dr iver
presses the brake pedal quick ly in emergency sit­
uations. You must press and ho ld the brake pedal
until the situation is over.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive whee ls
begin to spin and adapts the force to the road
conditions. This makes it easier to start, acceler ­
ate and dr ive up h ills.
Electronic diff erential lock (EDL )
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other drive wheel or wheels if the vehicle is equipped w ith all-whee l
drive*. This function is available up to about 60
mph (100 km/h) .
I n extreme cases , EDL automatically switches off
to help keep the brake on the braked wheel from
overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again automati­
cally when conditions have returned to normal.
A WARNING
- ESC, ABS, ASR and EDL cannot overcome the
laws of phys ics. Th is is especially important
on slippery or wet roads. If the syst ems be­
gin act ing to stab ilize your vehicle, you
sho uld immediately cha nge your speed to
match the roa d and traffic con ditions. Do
not let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take risks . Do­
ing so wi ll increase the risk of a loss of vehi­
cle contro l, collis ion and serio us personal in­
juries .
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and
weather cond it ions. The risk of losing con­
tro l of the veh icle increases when driving
Int ellig ent t echnolo gy
too fast, especially through curves and on
slippery or wet roads, and when dr iving too
close to vehicles up ahead. ESC, ABS, the
brake assist system, EDL and ASR cannot
prevent coll is ions .
- Always accelerate with special care on even,
smooth surfaces such as those that are wet
or covered with ice and snow. The drive
wheels can spin even with these assistance sys tems that cannot always help to reduce
the risk of loss of veh icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when all
four wheels are eq uipped with ident ical
tire s. Different tire s izes can lead to a reduc­
t ion i n engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems de­
sc ribed a re wo rking.
- If the ind icator light GJ or II (USA mod­
els) ;tiJ (Canada models) appea rs, there
may be a malfunction~
page 15,
~ page 15.
Switching on/off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the
engine.
SPORT •
Fig . 12 6 Cente r co nsole wit h lJ bu tto n
ESC sport mode
In certain situations, it might make sense to a l­
low some slip. For example:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose gro und
- Dr iving with snow chains
135

Intelligent technology
Press the I!! button briefly¢ fig. 126 . The II in­
dicator light turns on and Sport control Warn­
ing! Restricted st abilit y appears in the driver in­
formation system d isplay. Driving stability is lim­
ited in sport mode.
Sw itch ing ESC off
Press and hold the
l!I button for three seconds .
The ESC indicator light
fl turns on and Stabil i­
z atio n prog ram off appears in the display. ASR is
also switched off when ESC is sw itched off.
Sw itch ing on
Press the
l!J button again. The message Stabili­
zation progr am on appears briefly in the disp lay .
_& WARNING
You should only sw itch the ESC off if your dr iv­
ing ability and the traffic s ituation allow. This
could increase the risk of slipp ing.
- The stabilizing function is limited in ESC
sport mode. The driving wheels could spin and the vehicle could swerve, especially on
slick or slippery road surfaces.
- There is no vehicle stabilization when ESC is
switched off.
(D Tips
If there is a malfunction in the retractable
rear spo iler* or the A udi magnetic ride*, it
may not be possible to activate ESC sport
mode or normal mode may act ivate aga in au­
tomatically.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pad s
During the f irst 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first¢.&. . The break- in pe­
riod can be considerab ly longer for vehicles w ith
ceramic b rake roto rs*. You can compensate for
this s light ly reduced b ra ki ng power by push ing
ha rder on the b rake peda l. Avoid heavy braking
loads during the bre ak-in period.
136
Operating conditions and driving habits
The bra kes on today's automobiles a re s till sub­
j ect to wear, depend ing largely on operating con ­
ditions and driving habits ¢& . On vehicles that
a re either driven most ly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Aud i dealer more of­
te n tha n specified in the Warranty
& Maint e­
nance bookl et. Failure to have you r brake pads
i nspected can resu lt in reduced b rake pe rform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking ef­
fect of the engine . This way, you prevent un nec­
essary wear on the brake system . If you must use
you r brakes, do not hold the bra kes down cont in­
u o usly. Pump the brakes at in tervals.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braki ng depending on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond it ions such
as tempera ture and hum idity.
Due to the nature of the materia ls used i n ceram­
i c brake rotors*, noises may become more appa­
r ent at low speeds.
Effect of water and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
through water , in heavy rain, after overnight con­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dr ied fi rst w ith a few careful b rake app lications.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake r otors for a short amount of time. This occurs at
r egular intervals without the dr iver not ic ing and
provides fo r be tter brake response time under
wet cond it ions.
The effect iveness of the brakes ca n be red uced
when the v ehicle is d riv en on a salt-cove red road
and the b rakes are no t used. Likewise, you clean
off a ccumula ted salt coating from b rake d iscs
and pads with a few ca utious app lications of the
brake ¢& .
D ue to the ir sur fa ce character istics, cerami c
brake ro tors * absorb moistu re in such co ndi tions . ..,.

Intelligent technology
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling and
enhances driver control.
SPORT •
Fig. 127 Switch for rear spoiler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spo iler op­
eration can be set for automatic or manual oper­
ation.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Extending automatically: This occurs when driv­
ing faster than approximately
62 mph (100
km/h) or at a certain engine compartment tem­
perature1l.
- Retracting automatically: This occurs when
driv ing s lower than approximate ly
22 mph (35
km/h) or at a certain engine compartment tem­
perature1l.
Manual mode
- Extending manually: Press the switch
~ fig. 12 7 briefly to extend the rear spoi ler
completely.
- Retracting manually: When dr iving at speeds
below approximately
12 mph (20 km/h), press
and hold the switch to retract the rear spoiler.
When dr iving at speeds between
12 mph and
62 mph (20 km/h and 100 km/h), press the
switch briefly to retract the rear spoiler com­
pletely. You cannot retract the rear spoiler if it
extended due to the engine compartment tem­
perature.
1 > The rear spoiler only extends or retracts above a certain
e ngine temperature in some mode ls.
138
Indicator light
When the indicator light I-· appears, there is a
system malfunction. The rear spoi ler may not be
able to extend. This could change the vehicle's
driving character istics at high speeds. Do not ex­
ceed 87 mph
(140 km/h). Drive to your author­
i zed Audi dealer immediately to have the mal­
function corrected.
A WARNING
-
Driving at h igher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling charac­
ter istics, making the vehicle harder to control.
- Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries. A lways make sure
that nobody , especial ly children, is in the
way when the rear spoiler is deployed or re­
tracted.
- Always obey speed limits and other traffic
laws.
- Hot air from the engine compartment can
escape through the rear spoiler when it is
open and it could burn you.
(D Note
-Never push the vehicle or apply force to the
rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- To prevent damage to the rear spo iler do
not lean or place anything on it.
- Only operate the rear spo iler manually when
the engine compartment lid is closed and
the rear spoiler moving parts are not
bloc ked. Otherwise, damage could occur.
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to 3
months. The spoiler compartment must al­
ways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other de­
bris.

Driving and en vironment
Driving and environment
Break-in period
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the break-in
period shou ld be 1 ,500 miles (2,500 km) . Do not
use full acceleration for the first 600 miles
(1 ,000 km) and do not exceed the maximum en­
gine speed of 6,000 rpm You must also not use
full accelerat ion between 600 and 1,200 miles
(1,000 to 2,000 km) . From 1,200 to 1,500 miles
(2 ,000 to 2,500 km), you can gradually increase
maximum eng ine speed to 8,250 rpm for brief
pe riods.
During the first hours of operation, there is
greater fr iction in the eng ine and the transmis­
sion than later when all the moving pa rts have
b roken in .
The way you drive during the first 1,500 miles
(2 ,500 km) affects engine quality . If you drive at
modera te engine speeds thereafter, part icu larly
when the engine is cold, yo u red uce eng ine wea r
and increase the potential mileage o f the engine.
Do not dr ive at RPMs that a re too
low. Shift down
when the engine is no longe r runni ng "smooth­
ly". Extremely high RPMs are gover ned automati­
cally.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
W hen you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
d riving through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must no t be any h igher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
142
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
A WARNING
After driv ing through water, mud, s lush, etc .,
the brakes may be s low to take effect because
of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry the brakes
first by brak ing carefully to restore the full
braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission , suspension or e lectrical system
can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing t hrough
water .
(D Tips
- Check the dept h of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off when driv ing through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming veh icles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to d rive
through safely .
- Avoid driving through salt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmen tally sound manner.
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ~ page 151,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never r un the tank down all the way to empty.
.,. Never put too much mo tor o il in yo ur engi ne
~ page 160, Adding engine oil 'l::r..
.,. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt your vehicle .
The cata lytic converter is an effi cien t "clean -up"
device built in to the exhaust system of the vehi ­
cle. The cata lytic conve rter burns many of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
l eased into the atmosphere.
-