engine AUDI R8 SPYDER 2011 Owner's Manual

44 Opening and clo sing
- ignition
When the sys tem is activated, the alarm w ill
be tr iggered if one of the doors , the eng ine
compartmen t lid or the front lid are opened.
The anti-theft a larm system will also go
off
when the ba tte ry is d isconne cted.
You can a lso trigger the alarm by pressing the
PANIC button on your remote-control key .
This will a lert other people in case of emer­
gency. Press the PANIC button again to turn
off th e al ar m .
How is the anti-theft alarm switched off
when triggered?
To switch t he a larm off, press the button @l on
the master key o r swi tch t he ign ition on. The
ala rm w ill also sw itch i tse lf
off when i t comes
to the end of its cycle .
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher w ill blink briefly when
the doo rs, e ngine compartment lid and front
lid are prope rly closed .
If the emergency flashe rs do not b link, check
the doors, engine compartment lid and front
lid to ma ke sure t hey a re p roperly closed. If
you close a doo r, the engine comp artment lid
or the front lid wit h the anti-theft alarm
switched on, t he emergency f lashers will blink
only after you have closed the door or lid .
Power windows
Controls
The driver can operate all windows.
Fig. 41 D rive r's doo r: p owe r w in dow sw it c h es
Fig. 42 Passen ger 's doo r: powe r wi ndow swit ch
0 ~
"' 0
"' "' OJ
The powe r wi ndow swi tches have a two-posi ­
tion function :
Opening the windows
• Press the switch and hold it down unt il the
w ind ow has reached the desired position.
"' Press the switc h
briefly to open the window
automatically .
"' By briefly pressi ng/p ull ing the sw itch again,
t he downward travel of the window ca n be
s toppe d in any pos it ion
~ .&, .
Closing the windows
"' Pull the sw itch and hold it until the window
has reached the desired position .
"' Pull the sw itch
briefly to close the window
automatically .
"' By briefly pressing/p ull ing the sw itch agai n,
t he upward trave l of the window can be
stopped in any position
~ .&, .
.&_ WARNING
-
-Do not leave ch ildren unattended in the
veh icle, especially with access to vehicle
keys. Unsupervised use of the keys can
resu lt in start ing of the engi ne and use
o f vehicle syst ems such as power w in­
d ows, e tc. w hich could res ult in s erious
lnJUr y.
-Remember -you can still ope n or close
the powe r windows for about ten mi­
nutes after the ig nition i s swi tched off.
On ly w hen ei ther o f th e fr ont d oors are
opened a re the power windows switched
off ~

(D Note
To prevent damage to the convertible top:
-do not store any objects in the converti­
ble top storage bay.
- make sure there is enough space above
the vehicle when opening or closing the
convertible top.
@ T ips
- When the indicato r lamp ffl blinks,
there is a system malfunction
c> page 16 .
-The one-touch opening function is not
ava ilable when the vehicle is traveling
below 4 mph (6 km/h) or above 31 mph
(SO km/h).
If this is the case, a warning
tone will sound and a message will ap­ pear in the instrument cluster
c> page47.
Error message in the instrument cluster
display
An error message appears if the convertible
top cannot open or close.
Severa l conditions must be met for the con­
vertible top to open or close automatically .
An error message in the instrument cluster
d isp lay ind icates if one of the condit ions is not
me t or there is a malfunct ion.
Soft top: Pleas e clo se engin e lid!
The engine compartment lid must be closed
when opening or closing the convertible top .
T his message appears in the instrument clus­
ter disp lay if the engine compartment lid is
no t closed.
Soft t op : C annot be used!
This error message appears if the convertib le
cannot open or close b ecause of safety rea­
sons or if there is a malfunction . The follow­
ing causes are poss ible:
- The vehicle i s tra v eling too fa st: Converti­
ble top operation is deactivated for safety
reasons if the vehicle is traveling too fast . A
message w ill appear . Reduce the vehicle
Con vertible top 47
speed and pu ll o r press the switch again to
open or close th e convertible top.
- The b att ery vo ltag e is too low: The conver­
tible top cannot open or close if the battery
voltage is too low. This ens ures there will be
enough battery vo ltage left to start the ve­
hicle . The convertible top c an be operated
aga in after the engine is star ted.
- Ove rload p rotect ion is acti ve: Ope rating the
convert ible top continuously for a long peri­
od of time p laces stress on the hydraulic
un it. Overload protect io n is act ivated to pre­
vent damage to the system . This protective
fu nction prevents the convertible top from
open ing or close fo r approximate ly 15 to 30
m inutes.
It will funct ion aga in a fter tha t
c:::> &..
-Malfun ction : Failure of system components
is one possib le cause fo r malfunction. If this
happens, you can a lso operate the converti­
ble top by hand
c> page 49 .
-The e xterio r tempe ratu re i s too low: The
convertible top will not open in tempera­
tures below (S °F) (-15 QC).
Soft top not secur e
If the convertible top is not c ompl etely open
or closed and the vehicle is traveling too fast,
the error message above appears and a warn­ ing tone sounds. Reduce the vehicle speed
and pull or press the switch again to open or close the convertible top.
A WARNING
Never drive when the convertible top is not
locked correctly . The wind from driving
could cause the co nvertib le top to open.
This can resu lt in i nju ries and damage to
the vehicle.

50 Convertible top
Step 1: Retract the rear window
Fig. 48 Upper storage compartme nt: re mov ing the
cover
F ig. 49 Upper sto rage compartment: using the Allen
wrench as a crank to lower the rear win dow
M 0 N ... a,
... ... M 0
The rear window must be retracted in order to
close the convertible top. If the rear window
switch is not functioning ¢
page 48, the rear
window can be cranked .
.. Open the upper storage compartment be­
tween the seat backrests ¢
page 70 .
.. Remove the cover using the screwdriver
from the vehicle tool kit¢
fig. 48.
• Press the Allen wrench from the veh icle tool
kit firmly into the opening until it cl icks into
place ¢
fig. 49.
> Turn the bolt clockw ise u ntil the rear win­
dow is lowered .
Step 2: Release the pressure in the
hydraulic system
The pressure in the hydraulic system must be
re leased before the convertible top can be
closed.
.. Switch the ignition off .
.. Pull or press the convertible top switch
¢
page 46, fig. 43 for approximately 10 sec­
onds.
A WARNING
-
If convertib le top operation fails when
opening or closing the top, do not hold or
touch the supports or other moving parts
when releasing the pressure. The converti­
ble top will sink down and could pinch your
hands.
Step 3 : Open the convertible top storage
bay lid
Fig. SO E ng ine compartme nt: install ing the eme rgency
ope rat io n bolts
Fig. 51 Raising the sto rage bay lid and pulling it back
The engine compartment lid must be released
using the emergency procedure in order to re­
l ease the storage bay lid ¢
page 177.
Releasing the convertible top storage bay
lid
.. Turn the emergency operat ion bolts on the
left and right sides of the engine compart­
ment¢
fig. SO clockw ise using the open end
wrench from the vehicle too l kit until the
bolts are installed completely . The co nverti ­
ble top sto rage bay lid will raise app rox i­
mate ly 0,4 in (1 cm) from the vehicle when
t he bolts are install ed comp letely .
• Close the engine compartment lid
r=;, page 176.

Opening the con vertibl e top stor age bay
lid
• From the rear of the vehicle, reach into the
center ventilation slot in the storage bay lid
with both hands and raise the lid approxi­
mately 12 in (30 cm).
"' Hold the storage bay lid in this pos ition and
pull it toward you until it stops ¢
fig. 51.
& WARNING
When wo rking in the engine compart­
ment:
- Turn the engine off .
- Act ivate the parking brake.
-
- In veh icles with a manual transm ission,
move the sh ifter lever into idle . In vehi-
cles w ith the R tronic transmission, move
the se lector lever into the N position.
- Remove the ignit ion key.
- Let the engine coo l down.
- Keep children away from the engine com-
partment .
(D Note
To prevent damage to the vehicle, only
open the convertible top storage bay lid
when the engine compartment lid is
closed.
Step 4: Remove the covers
F ig. 52 Convertib le to p: covers marked
Convert ible top 5 1
Fig. 53 Convert ible top storage bay lid: remov ing the
cover
The following steps must be performed on
both sides of the vehicle .
"' Remove the bolt in the cover on the bo ttom
side of the s torage bay lid using the o pen
end wrench from the vehicle too l kit @
¢fig. 53.
"'Move the cover up and down carefully until
it can be pulled downward from the teeth
@ .
Step 5:
Lift the convertible top out
Fi g. 54 Co nve rtible top storage bay: lifting the conver ­
tible top out
F ig. 55 W indshield frame: pressing the conver tible top
forward
"' Ho ld the convertib le top at the @ poin t (ar -
row)
¢ fig. 54 and raise it carefully ¢_& . II--

-Use only soft cups in the cupholder. Hard
cups and g lasses can cause injury in an
accident.
- Never use the cupholder or adapter as an
ashtray- risk of fire.
CD Note
Only drink containers with lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liquid could spill
out and damage your vehicle's electronic
equipment or stain the upholstery, etc.
Ashtray
Fig. 79 Center console: ash tray
The ashtray is inserted in the cupholder.
Opening the ashtray
.. Fold the cover upward.
Emptying the ashtray
.. Lift the closed ashtray up out of the cu­
pholder.
A WARNING
Never put waste paper in the ashtray. Hot
ashes o r other hot objects in the ashtray
could set waste paper on fire.
Cigarette Lighter/
socket
The c igarette lighter or socket only work with
the ignition on.
Using the cigarette lighter
.. Slide the cover open to reach the cigarette
lighter
<=> page 69.
Seats and storage 69
.. Push the knob in.
.. Wait until the cigarette lighter knob pops
out .
.. Remove the cigarette lighter immediately
and use it.
.. Reinsert cigarette lighter into the socket af­
ter use.
Connecting an appliance
.. Slide the cover open to reach the cigarette
lighter.
.. Remove cigarette lighter .
.. Plug in appliance to be used.
The socket of the cigarette lighter may be used for 12-volt appliances with maximum
consumption of up to 100 watts, such as a
flash light, small vacuum cleaner, etc.
A WARNING
- Improper use of the cigarette lighte r can
cause serious injury or start a fire.
- Be careful when using the cigarette light­
er. If you do not pay attention to what
you are doing when you are using the cig­
arette lighter you can burn yourself.
CD Note
-To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Only use the cigarette lighter socket as a
power source for electrical accessories
for short durations. Use the sockets in the vehicle when a power source is need­
ed for longer durations .
(D Tips
-When the engine is off and accessories
are still plugged in and are on, the vehi­
cle battery can still be drained.
- Th e veh icle battery must not be charged
w ith a standard small charger that plugs
into the cigarette lighter or outlet.

7 2 Warm and cold
Warm and cold
Climate controls
Controls
The climate controls automatically maintain the selected temperature in the vehicle interior
throughout each season .
Fig. 82 Climate contro ls
We recommend the following sett ing :
> Rotate the knob 9 fig. 82 @ to the right to
switch on the air conditioning .
> Set the temperature to 72 °F (22 °().
> Press the !AUTO !~ fig. 82 button .
Using the previously recommended setting is
the quickest way to achieve a comfortable cli ­
mate in the vehicle . This setting should there­
fore only be changed when persona l comfort
l evels or certain circumstances require it.
The climate controls are a combination of au ­
tomatic heating and ventilation systems and a
coo ling system which dehum idifies and coo ls
the air inside the veh icle.
The climate controls automatically maintain a temperature once it has been set . The tem­
perat ure of the air from the vents, fan speed
(air volume) and a ir dist ribution are also auto­
mat ical ly adjusted . The system also takes into
account strong s unshine so that manua l ad­
justment is not necessary. So in almost all cases,
a ut om at ic mode offers the best condi­
tions for the comfort of the occupants at all
times of the year
9 page 75 .
Plea se not e:
In cooling mode , relative humidity in the inte­
rior is reduced . This prevents the w indows
from fogg ing up. When outside temperatures
are low (temperatures below freezing), the air
condit ion ing (compressor) switches off auto­
matically - air in the vehicle inte rior is not de­
humid ified.
When relative hum idity and temperatures
outside are h igh,
co nden sat e can drip from
the a ir cond ition ing evaporator and form a
pool of water under the vehi cle. This is normal
and not an ind ication of a leak!
When outs ide temperatures are low, the fan
doe s not switch to a h igher speed until the
coolant has reached an adequate tempera­
tu re, with the exception of the defrost set­
ting.
When accelerating at wide-open throttle, the air conditioning compressor is temporarily
switched off to maintain full eng ine power .
In order to ensure engine cooling under ex­
t reme engine loads , the compressor is switch­
ed off if coolant temperatures climb too high . .,..

76 Warm and cold
an authorized Audi dealer when there is an
operating problem.
Using the climate controls economically
Economical use of the climate controls helps
to save fuel.
When climate control is wor king in cool ing
mode, engine performance is reduced and
fuel consumption is affected. To keep the time
the air conditioning is on as short as possible,
you shou ld do the fo llow ing:
.,. If you would like to save f uel, sw itch the air
condition ing off.
... If you open the windows whi le driving,
switch the air conditioning off.
... If the vehicle is extremely hot due to the
heat of the sun, briefly open doors and win­
dows .
@ For the sake of the environment
When you save fuel, you reduce emissions
from the vehicle.
Rear window defogger
The rear window defogger clears the rear win­
dow of condensation .
... Press the~ button c::> page 72, fig. 82 to
turn the rear window defogger on and off.
The rear window defogger works only when
the eng ine is running. The indicator light in
the butto n illum inates when the rear window
defogger is turned on .
The rear window defogger is switched off au­
tomatically after approx. 10 minutes.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the rear window is clear, yo u
should switch the rear window defogger
off. The reduced power consumption has a
beneficial effect on fuel consumption.
Heated seats
The seat cushion and the seotbock of the
front seats con be heated electrically.
... Press the heated seats button I- ., +I
c::> page 72, fig . 82 to set the level of heating
desired.
The range of contro ls goes from 1 to 3. The
heat setting selected is shown by LEDs above
the button.
(D Note
To avoid damage to the heating elements
in the seats, do not kneel on the seats or
place heavy loads on a small area of the
seat .

On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance.
Fig. 84 Lever under the stee ring column
• Push the lever ¢ fig. 84 down ¢ &.
• Move the steer ing whee l to the desired posi­
tion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­
ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering wheel.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury .
- Adjust the steering whee l column only
when the veh icle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
-
-Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
¢ page 100, fig. 106. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis ­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you properly.
- If physica l limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
On the road 77
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is available.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steer ing wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of personal injury
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- 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 hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig. 85 Igniti on lock posit ions
Ignition off©
In position ¢ fig. 85@ both the ignition and
engine are
off, and the steering is locked .
To
lock the steering after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steer ing wheel in ei­
ther direction until you hear it lock into place.
You should always lock the steering whenever
you leave your vehicle. This makes vehicle
theft even more difficult
c::> .&. .

78 On the road
Ignition on @
Afte r switching the ignition on, the needles
move a ll the way up and then down .
I f it is difficult to tu rn the key afte r you have
i nserted it into the ignition lock, turn the
steering wheel back and forth. This will take
the load off the steering lock mechan ism and
you will be able to turn the key freely and start the engine .
Starting the engine @
In th is position the engine sta rts. While the
engine is start ing, the power s upply to the
headlights and other e lectr ica l cons umers is
tempo rari ly interrupted to conserve battery
power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to posit ion @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position@. The
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is runn ing .
A WARNING
-Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock whi le the vehicle is moving. The
steeri ng wheel will lock causing loss of
contro l.
- If you have to leave your vehicle - even
for just a m inute - always remove t he ig­
nition key and ta ke it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave ch ildren behind in the vehicle. The
children co uld star t t he engine or use
other vehicle controls . Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for examp le, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
jur ies.
(D Tips
If the veh icle battery has been discon nect­
ed and then reconnected, then you must leave the key in pos ition @for abo ut 5
seconds before you can start t he engine.
-
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig ­
inal Audi key.
On vehicles with R tronic *, the engine can be
started in the ne utra l position N and in each
gear (1 - 6 and R).
.. Se t the park ing brake ¢,&. .
.. On ve hicles with ma nual transmission *, fully
depress the cl utch peda l.
.. Press and hold the brake peda l.
.. Turn the ignition key to posit ion @
¢ page 77, fig . 85 - do not depress the gas
pedal when starting the engine .
.. Let go of the key as soo n as the engine
starts - the sta rter must not cont inue to
r u n. On veh icles w it h R t ro nic , sele ct ge ar
posi tion N.
A cold engine may at first be loud afte r it has
been started. This is due to the hydrau lic
valves b uilding up the oil p ress ure. This is no r­
mal and no need fo r conce rn .
If th e engine does not start imm ediately, stop
t ry ing after 10 seconds and t hen t ry to res tart
t h e engine abou t 30 seconds later.
A WARNING
-
- Never star t or le t the eng ine run in a con ­
f ined o r enclosed area . Exha ust fumes
from the en gine contain carbon monox­
ide, a co lorless and odorless gas. Carbon
monox ide ca n be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine id ling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle w ith a run ning
e ngine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft.
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the ve hicle w it h
the foot brak e.
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. This could damage the
eng ine.

-The engine c annot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
To avo id u nnecessary engine wea r and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
vehicle stand and warm up . Be ready to
drive off immediately after start ing your
veh icle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicles with R tronic*, the engine can be
turned off in the neutral position N and in
each gear (1 -6 and R).
.. Turn the ignition key to position@
¢page 77, fig. 85.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the eng ine unt il the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and servotronic on ly
work when the engine is running. With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or braking.
S ince you cannot steer and stop norma l­
ly, this can lead to accidents and ser ious
injuries.
(D Note
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, heat
builds up in the engine compartment af­
ter the eng ine is sw itched off -there is a
risk of damaging the engine . Allow the
engine to continue to run at idle for a
short time or drive until it has cooled
down before you turn it off¢
page 159 .
-If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, it can be­
come extreme ly hot. You should not park
your vehicle over eas ily combustible ob­
jects or areas (e .g. grass or leaves). There
i s a risk of start ing a fire.
On th e road 7 9
@ Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even wit h the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant temperatu re rises
as the result of heat bu ildup or if the en­
gine compartment is heated by the s un's
r ays and the engine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally .
Fig. 86 Ce nter console: Pa rk ing b rake set
Set ting the parking brake
.. Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing th e park ing bra ke
.. Pull the parking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
¢ fig. 86 ·arrow· .
.. Keep the re lease button pressed and lower
the parking brake¢,&..
If you shou ld drive off with the parking brake
still set, a warning tone will sound and the
follow ing message wi ll appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Parking bra ke is appl ied
T he parking brake warning comes on only af­
ter you have driven for longer than 3 seconds
and faster than 3 mph (5 km/h). ..,.