engine AUDI R8 SPYDER 2014 Owner's Guide

_& WARNING
You should only return to the saved speed if it is not too fast for the current traffic
conditions - risk of an accident!
Audi magnetic ride
Damping can be adjusted to the driver's pref­
erence and it adapts automatically to the cur­
rent driving situation.
SPORT •
Fig. 81 Center conso le : Switch for Audi magnetic ride
.,. To turn sport setting on/off, press the
switch
¢fi g. 81 .
Aud i magnetic ride is an electronica lly con­
trolled damping system . This chassis system
assists the driver by adapting to the particu lar
situation through imperceptible control proc­
esses. The damping provides individual modu­
lation of damping forces. For example, with
damping characteristics set to prov ide greater
comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for
a brief period only as required, when rounding
a curve and when brak ing.
Standard setting
Select the standard setting if you prefer a sus­
pension setting emphasizing comfort.
Sport setting
Select the sport setting if you prefer a sporty
suspension setting. The LED in the button
II]
comes on to indicate sport setting.
@ Tips
The warning/indicator light Bin the instru­
ment cluster comes on in the event of a
malfunction. Drive to the closest author-
On the road 75
ized Audi dealer as soon as possible and
have the malfunction repaired.
Sporty driving
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
you r vehicle, you can help ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessar ily during sporty driv­
ing .
When warm ing up, the vehicle is driven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM
(Vl0 engine) or 7000 RPM (V8 engine) in or­
der to raise the engine oil temperature to a
minimum of 140 °F (60 °C). The tires also on­
ly reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up.
The cooling fan can cont inue to run in your ve­
hicle after the engine is switched off. Howev­
er, driving the vehicle to coo l it down is partic­
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the exhaust system, and
the transmission all become extremely hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you should drive
it for a few m iles/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down.
Driving on a track
Before you take your vehicle out on a track ,
ensure that it is in perfect condition. For ex­
amp le, you should check the tire tread and the
brake pads. It is best to increase tire pressure
by about 0.3 bar.
When driving on a track, oil consumption may
be somewhat higher than in "normal" opera­
tion
r=> page 178.
You should definitely inspect your vehicle af ­
ter subject ing it to severe conditions . Are the
brake pads OK? Is there anything unusual
about the tires, including the inner and outer
sidewalls (e.g. tread, blistering)? Are the air
intakes free of leaves and tire dust? Is the oil
level OK? .,,.

Transmission Manual transmission
Gearshift lever
App lies to vehicles: with manual transmission
The clutch pedal must be depressed all the
way before you can start the engine.
The manual transmission in your Audi is
equipped with an
interlock-feature.
• Depress the clutch pedal all the way.
• Start the engine with the gearshift lever in
Neutral and the clutch pedal depressed.
(D Note
Always depress the clutch pedal fully when
changing gears . Do not hold the vehicle on
a hill with the clutch pedal partially de­
pressed. This may cause premature clutch
wear or damage .
@ Tips
-Resting your hand on the gearshift lever
knob while driving will cause premature
wear in the transmission.
- The back-up lights go on when you shift
into Reverse w ith the ignition on.
Gearshift pattern (6-speed manual
transmission)
Applies to vehicles: with 6-speed manual transmission
Fig. 82 Gears hift patte rn: 6 -speed manual tran smis­
sion
Drive in 6th gear for optim um fuel economy
when cruising . However, if more acceleration
is required (when passing, for example), shift
down.
Transmission 77
Engaging reverse gear (R)
• Move the shift lever all the way to the left,
press it down , then push it backward.
Especially after driving forward, stop the vehi­
cle completely, sh ift into
Neutral and rest the
shift lever br iefly in Neutra l before shift ing in­
to
Reverse .
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with VlO eng ine and manual t ra ns·
miss ion
The Launch Control Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
• With the engine running, press the button
[g] one time. The ESC indicator light I in the
Driver Informat ion System display illumi­
nates and the message
ESC sport - Warn­
ing! Restricted stability
appears.
• Press the clutch and hold it down .
• Engage the first gear.
• Press the accelerator pedal all the way down
until the engine speed remains steady at
6500 RPM.
• Release the clutch carefully¢.&, .
A WARNING
-Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use Launch Control when road and
traffic conditions allow it and other dr iv­
ers will not be endangered or annoyed by
your driving and the vehicle's accelera­
tion .
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESC is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you sho uld
sw itch the ESC back on by pressing the
button @.

78 Transmission
@ Tips
-When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
increased wear.
- The Launch Control Program only func­
tions 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. 83 Shift pattern
Fig. 84 Display: selected gears
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronical­
ly-controlled manual transmission called S
tronic ®. Two independent clutches transfer
the powe r between the engine and transmis­
sion. They replace the torque converter used
in conventional automatic transmissions and
allow the vehicle to accelerate without a no­
ticeable interruption in traction.
The selected mode of operation, the gear en­
gaged and the sport function are shown in the
Driver Information System display ¢
fig. 84.
M -Manual operation
In this operating mode, you shift the forward
gears using the selector lever ¢
page 79 or
the shift paddles on the multifunction steer­
ing wheel¢
page 81.
A - Automatic operation
In this opera ting mode, the forward gears are
shifted up or down depending on engine load
and vehicle speed ¢
page 80.
R- Reverse
Only shift into reverse gear when the vehicle is
stationary and the engine is running at idle
speed~ ,&..
To engage reverse gear, you have to press the
brake pedal, move the selector lever to the
right and tip it towards R . In reverse gear, the
backup lights illuminate when the ignit ion is
on .
N -Neutral
To engage neutral, you have to move these­
lector lever to the left or to the right.
If re­
verse gear is engaged, move the selector lever
to the left.
If a forward gear is engaged, move
the selector lever to the right.
Sport function
The sport function is sw itched on by pressing
the
I SPOR T I button on the selector lever cover.
Upshifting at a higher RPM makes full use of
the engine's power. Shift time is decreased
and acce le rator pedal response is improved.
In addition, in manual operation the engine
does
not shift automatically into the next
gear before it has reached the maximum per­
missible engine speed. In automatic opera­
tion, upshifting continues automatically.
P - Automatic parking lock
The automatic parking lock is engaged imme­
diately after you remove the key. The auto­
matic parking lock is also engaged if you turn
off the engine while in the A, R, or manual
mode positions. .,..

If you turn off the engine while in the N posi­
ti on and leave the vehicle key in the ignition,
the transm ission remains in the N pos ition for
approximately 20 mi nutes an d then act ivates
th e automatic parking lock. If vehicle
move­
ment is detected within tha t 20 minutes
based on rotat ion of the wh eels, th en the
time will increas e according ly.
A WARNING
- If a gear is engaged when the vehicle is
stationa ry, the acce lerator must not be
pressed inadvertently under any circum­
stances. Otherwise the vehicle will im­
med iately start to
move -sometimes
even if the parking brake is firmly ap­
plied.
- Before you or other persons open the en­
gine compartment lid and work on a ru n­
ning eng ine, se lect neutral position
N
and firmly apply the handbrake. A lways
read and follow the applicable warn ings
¢ page 172, Working in the engine
compartment.
(i) Tips
- If you accidentally shifted into N while
driving, you can engage a gear in the nor­ mal way using the selecto r lever.
-An indicator light is displayed if a mal­
funct ion occ urs while in S tronic. Refe r to
qpage 81.
Manual mode
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h S t ronic
S tronic allows the driver to shift gears man­
ually.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.. Move the selector lever to the left.
.,. Tap the selector lever forward
0 -
.. Re lease the brake pedal and press the accel­
erato r peda l¢ ,& .
Tran sm iss ion 79
Shifting
.,. To shift up, tap the selec to r l ever forwa rd
0-
.. To shift down, tap the selector lever to the
rear Q.
Stopping temporarily
.. Press the b rake pedal to p revent the veh icle
from mov ing, fo r ex ample at tra ffic l ights.
Parking
.. Press and hold the brake pedal¢ ,& .
.. Act ivate the park ing brake .
.,. Tu rn off the ignition and remove the key.
Stopping on an incline
.. Always keep th e vehicle stat ionary using the
foot brake to prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ ,& . D o
not try to p revent the veh icle from
"rol ling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing e ng ine speed.
.. Ac tiva te the pa rk ing br ake.
Starting on a hill
.. With a gear engaged, remove your foot from
th e brake, accelerate and slowly release the
park ing brake.
When accelerat ing, S tronic sh ifts i nto the
next gear i n gears 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 shortly
before the max imum pe rm issib le eng ine
speed is reached.
If you have se lected a lowe r gear tha n the cur­
r ent one, S tron ic will s hift down only when
the engine will not be
over- revved .
You can switch to automat ic operation at any
time
q page 80.
A WARNING
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
ru nning while in gear . If you must leave
your veh icle w ith the engine r unning, set
the par king brake firm ly and engage neu­
tral
N.
- W ith the engine r unning and a gear en­
g aged, you have to hold the ve hicle with
the foot bra ke.

80 Transmi ssion
-Do not accelerate when you shift gears
with the vehicle stationary and the en­
gine running.
- Before driving down a steep slope, re­
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with S tron ic.
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too often or too long. Constant
braking causes the brakes to overheat
and substantially reduces brak ing per ­
formance, inc reases braking distance or
c auses comp lete failure of t he b rake sys­
tem.
0 Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
t he vehicle in place w it h the foot bra ke to
p revent it from roll ing ba ck. Do not t ry to
preven t the vehicle from r oll ing bac k when
t he ge ar is engaged by increasing speed,
as t his may damage the clutch .
Automatic mode
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic
The transmission shifts up and down auto­
matically when in the driving gears.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake peda l.
.. Tap the se lector lever towards A.
.. Re lease the brake pedal and press the accel­
era to r peda l¢
A in Manual mode on
page
79 .
Unde r certain circumstances (d riving in the
mo unt ains fo r example), it can be beneficia l
to switch tempo rari ly to the manua l shift pro ­
gram ¢
page 79 in order to adjust the gear ra­
tios to driving conditions
manually .
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
When you depress the acce lerator pedal be ­
yond the resistance po int, S tronic downshifts
i n to a lower gear , depending on vehicle speed
l) Market- sp ec ifi c
and engine rpm . It shifts up into the next
higher g ear once the maximum specified en ­
gine RPM is reached. Except ion: you have acti ­
vated the sport func tion .
A WARNING
Please note that the whee ls cou ld spin on
slick or slippe ry roads when kick-down is
active .
Launch control program
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic
The Launch Con trol Program enables maxi­
mum acceleration .
Requirement: The eng ine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned.
.. With th e engine running, press the
(fill
!ESC OFF!1l
button one time. The I ind ica­
tor light and the message
ESC Spo rt -Cau ­
tion! Lim ited stabil ity!
appears in the driver
information system display .
.. Press the brake pedal with your left foot a nd
hold it down .
.. Engage a gea r.
.. Press the
I SPOR T! button on the selecto r lev ­
er cover .
.. Press the accelerator peda l 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 traff ic
f low.
- Onl y use t he Launch contro l program
when road and t raff ic conditions a llow it
a nd other d rivers w ill not be e ndangered
or both ered by your dr iving and the vehi­
cle 's ac celera tion.
- Pl ease note that the d riving wheels ca n
sp in a nd the vehicle can b reak away
-

when ESC is switched off, especially
when the road is slippery.
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch the ESC back on by pressing the
[fil
button.
(D Tips
- The transmission temperature may in­
crease significantly after using the Launch Control Program. If that hap­
pens, the program may not be available
for a few minutes. It will be available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the Launch
Control program, all vehicle parts are
subject to heavy loads. This can result in
increased wear.
Steering wheel with shift paddles
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
The shift paddles allow you to select gears
manually on the steering wheel .
Fig . 85 Steering wheel: shift paddles
~ To shift down, press the paddle on the left
0 -
~ To shift up, press the paddle on the right G).
You can continue to use the manual sh ift pro­
gram with the selector lever in the center con­
sole.
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
[O] Transmission: please press the brake ped­
al and select the position again Transmission 81
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can then
continue driving.
[O] Transmission too hot: please modify driv·
ing style
The transmission temperature has increased
significantly due to the sporty driving manner.
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission: System malfunction! You
may continue driving
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­ s ion. You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
c ili ty soon to have the malfunction corrected.
Bii·Transmission: System malfunction !
You may continue driving in A until you turn
the engine off.
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Transmission: System malfunction ! Driv­
ing ability is restricted
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion . The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode . This mode only shifts into cer­
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may stall. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
[oJ;t Transmission: System malfunction !
Driving ability is restricted. No reverse gear
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode . This mode only shifts into cer­
ta in gears or will no longer shift at all. The en ­
gine may stall. You cannot engage the reverse
gear. Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.

82 Transmission [O] Risk of rolling! P not possible. Plea se set
the parking brake
- T he pa rking lock was released using the
eme rgency release
r=;, page 82. Or
- T he pa rking lock can no longer be engaged.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified repair facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
• Transmission: System malfunction ! Stop
the vehicle
Do not cont inue driving. Turn off the ignition
and contact your nearest authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
There is a serious system malfunction . Con­
tinuing to drive could result in subsequent
damage.
0 Note
If S tronic has switched to emergency op­
eration mode, you should have the mal­
function corrected as soon as possible.
Parking lock emergency release
Appl ies to vehicles: with S tronic
The parking lock must be released using the
emergency release before towing the vehicle .
Fig. 86 Engine compartment: emergency release
Fig. 87 Engine compa rtment: pa rking lock emergency
r e lease
The emergency release is located in the en­
gine compartment.
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
.,. Turn the engine off.
.,. Set the parking brake to prevent the vehicle
from rolling unintentionally.
.,. Remove the removable plastic key from the
luggage compartment and extend the key to
its full length .
.,. Remove the cover over the emergency re­
lease mechanism .
.,. Insert the plastic key into the emergency re­
lease mechanism and turn it all the way to
the right
r=;, fig. 87.
Resetting the parking lock
.,. Tu rn the key all the way to the left .
.,. Install the cover.
The
[O] indicator light appears in the instru­
ment cluster if the park ing lock was released
from P using the emergency release. The mes­
sage
Risk of rolling! P not possible. Please
set the parking brake
also appears .
.&_ WARNING
- Only activate the emergency release
while on a level surface or a slight slope.
-If you release the parking lock using the
emergency release, secure you r vehicle
wit h the parking brake. The vehicle can
roll away if it is not secured and cause a
crash.

90 Homelink®
Homelink®
Universal remote
control
General information
The Homelink universal remote control can
be programmed with hand-held transmitters
from existing equipment.
You must first program the Homelink ® trans­
mitter before you can use the system
~ page 90, Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter.
I n o rder to prog ram the Homelink ® transmit­
ter for devices utilizing rolling code, a second pe rson on a ladder who can safely reach the
garage doo r opener motor is recommended.
It is also necessary to locate the "learn" but­
ton on your garage door opener motor . Refer
to the operating instructions for the opener,
as the location and color of this button may
vary by manufacturer .
You can still use the original remote control
for the device at any time.
A WARNING
-
- Never use the Homelink® transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as requ ired by federa l safety stand­
ards. This includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signa ling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards. Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is stand ing in front of the vehicle.
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink ® remote control is being pro­
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac- tivated, this can overstrain motor and
damage its e
lectrical components -an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certain that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equ ipment being operated.
(!) Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink ®, where to purchase the
Homelink ® compatible products, or
would like to purchase the Homelink®
Home Lighting Package, please call toll­
free: 1-800-355-3515.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions~
page 230.
Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter
The transmitter is programmed in two phas­
es. For rolling code transmitters, a third
phase is also necessary.
Fig. 99 Overhead co nsole: Homelink ® keypad
I
'-.. ~0000 - - ,r.;-_ - -
Fig. 100 Fro nt bumper : location of tra nsmi tter unit

104 Safet y belt s
-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that comes on could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
F ig. 10 9 Unbelted occupants in a ve hicle h eading for a
wall
Fig. 110 T he vehicle c rash es into the wa ll.
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
e rgy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
g reater the vehicle 's we ight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most sign ificant factor.
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the ene rgy inc reases 4 t imes!
Because the occupants in this vehicle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 109, they will keep
mov ing at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the c rash, unt il something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 110 .
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision .
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs , or 1,000 kg) or
more . At higher speeds, these forces are even
greater .
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle. In a frontal coll i­
s io n they wi ll also keep moving forward at the
speed their veh icle was t ravell ing just before
the crash . Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
wh at h appens i n all kinds of a ccidents and col­
lisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
F ig . 111 A d river not wea ring a safety b elt is viol en tly
thrown fo rwa rd
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
t reme ndous forces of impact by holding tight
or b racing themse lves . Withou t the benefit of
safety restr aint sys tems, the unrestra ined oc­
cu pan t will slam violen tly into the steering
whee l, instr ument panel, w indshield, or what­
ever else is i n the way
.!> fig. 111 . This impact
with the vehicle i nterior has a ll the energy
they had just before the crash .
Never rely on a irbags alone fo r protection .
Even when they deploy , a irbags provide on ly
additional protection . Airbags are not sup ­
posed to deploy in all k inds of accidents. Al ­
t h ough your Audi is equipped with airbags, all ..,

vehicle occupants, including the driver, must
wear safety belts correctly in order to mini­
mize the risk of severe injury or death in a
crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy on ly
once and that your safety belts are always
there to offer protection in those accidents in
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or
when they have already deployed . Unbelted
occupants can also be thrown out of the vehi ­
cle where even more severe or fatal injuries
can occur .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
Fig. 112 Drive r is properly restrained in a sudden b rak­
ing maneuve r.
Safety belts used properly can make a big dif ­
ference . Safety belts help to keep passengers
in their seats, gradually reduce energy levels
applied to the body in an accident, and help
prevent the uncontrolled movement that can
cause serious injuries. In addition, safety belts
reduce the danger of being thrown out of the
vehicle.
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and
give them the benefit of being slowed down
more gently or "softly" through the "give" in
the safety belts, crush zones and other safety
features engineered into today's vehicles . By
"absorbing" the kinetic energy over a longer
period of time, the safety belts make the
forces on the body more "tolerable" and less
likely to cause injury.
Safety belts 105
Although these examples are based on a fron­
tal collision, safety belts can also su bsta ntia l­
ly reduce the risk of injury in other kinds of
crashes. So, whether you're on a long trip or
just going to the corner store, always buckle up and make sure others do, too . Accident sta ­
tistics show that vehicle occupants properly
wearing safety belts have a lower risk of being
injured and a much better chance of surviving
an accident. Properly using safety belts also
greatly increases the ability of the supplemen­
tal airbags to do their job in a collision. For
this reason, wearing a safety belt is legally re­
quired in most countries including much of
the United States and Canada.
Although your Audi is equipped with airbags,
you still have to wear the safety belts provid­
ed . Front airbags, for example, are activated
only in some frontal collisions . The front air­
bags are not activated in all frontal collisions,
in side and rear collisions, in roll overs or in
cases where there is not enough deceleration
through impact to the front of the vehicle.
The same goes for the other airbag systems in
your Audi. So, always wear your safety belt
and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
Important safety instructions about
safety belts
Safety belts must always be properly posi­
tioned across the strongest bones of your
body.
.,. Always wear safety belts as illustrated and
described in this chapter.
.,. Make sure that your safety belts are always
ready for use and are not damaged.
A WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wear ing them
improperly increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death. Safety belts can
work only when used correctly.
- Always fasten your safety belts correctly
before driving
off and make sure all pas-
sengers are properly restrained. .,.