lights AUDI R8 SPYDER 2011 User Guide

32 Driver in formation system
BRAKE/((D) Brake system malfunction
The indicator light flashes if the brake fluid
level is too low, if there is a malfunction in the ABS system or when the parking brake is
engaged.
If the alllill. symbol flashes in the dis ­
play with the parking brake released, there is
a malfunction in the brake system. In addit io n
to the symbo l, one of two messages appears
i n t he displ ay:
Stop veh icle and check brak e fluid
ABS f ault! See owner 's manual
• Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
• Obtain professiona l assistance .
USA models: if the re is a malfunction in the
A BS system,
the m warning/indicator light
i l luminates a long w ith the - system
mal function warn ing/ indicator light ¢&. .
Canada models: if there is a ma lf u nction in
the ABS system, the
li] warning/indicator
light ill uminates toget her with th e . brake
system ma lf u nction warning/indicator light
¢ &_ .
Parking brak e set
The parking brake warni ng light _ /_
(Canada models) ill uminates when the park­
ing brake is set . In additio n, a warning tone
will sound after you have dr iven for longer
than 3 seconds and faster than 3 mph (5 km/
h).
A WARNING
- Always observe the wa rnings i n
¢ page 175, Working in the engine
compartm ent,
before opening the en­
gine compa rtme nt lid and che ck ing the
brake f luid.
- Driv ing with low b rake fluid is a safety
h aza rd! S top the c ar and get profession al
assist ance.
- If the bra ke system war ning/ indicato r
ligh t illumina tes toge ther wi th the ABS
wa rning/in dicator ligh t, then the AB S system is malfunctioning
. The rear
wheels could quick ly loc k up when you
apply the brakes. This could lead to loss
of co ntrol and yo ur vehicle could slide!
Drive ca refully to the nea rest au thorized
Aud i dea le r and hav e the malfunction
corrected.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
When the. symbol in the display flashes,
then either the engine coo lant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low. In ad­
dition to the symbo l, the following message
also appears in the d isp lay:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
• Pull off the road and stop the veh icle.
• Turnoff the engine.
• Check coolant level ¢
page 182 .
• Add coo lant if necessary ¢ page 183.
• Cont inue dr iv ing o nly afte r the engine cool­
ant wa rning/ind icator light goes out .
• Con ta ct your au thori zed Aud i dealer for as-
sis tan ce if ne cess ary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, t hen the
r adiator fa n may be the ca use of the malfunc­
t io n.
If the generator warn ing/ indicato r light
shou ld also illum inate
¢ page 17, then the
fan belt may be damaged.
A WARNING
- If you r vehicle should bre ak down for
me chanical or o ther reasons, par k at a
safe distance from mov ing traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and tu rn on the hazard
warn ing lights ¢
page 57, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the eng ine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam or coolant es­
caping from t he engine compartment -
-
you risk being scalded. Wait until you can .,,.

no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn off the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
c:> page 175,
Working in the engine compartment.
([) Note
Do not contin ue driving if the. symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunct ion in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your eng ine .
9::::r: Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair .
If the . symbol appears in the display and
flashes, the oil pressure is too low. In addi tion
to the symbol, the following message also ap ­
pears in the d isp lay:
Sw itch off engine and check oil le vel
~ Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
~ S hu t the engine down .
~ Check the engine oi l level c:> page 180.
~ Contact your a uthori zed Audi dea ler for as-
s istance if necessary .
Engine oil level too low
If the engine oil level is too low, top off oi l to
the proper leve l
i::>poge 180.
Engine oil level OK
If the . symbo l sta rts flas hing again even
though the engine oil leve l checks O K on the
d ipstick,
do not sta rt driv ing again and do
not let the engine run at idle .
Instead, con­
tact your author ized A udi dealer for assis­
tance.
l ) - : US A mod els on ly
Dr iver in formati on sys tem 33
Bu Fuel supply too low
When the fD1 symbol illum inates, t his means
there are abo ut 2.6 gallons (10 liters) o f fuel
left in the fue l tank . Time to re fuel!
c:> page 171 .
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
amp le fue l in the t ank, and the text
TANK
SYSTEM MALFUNCTION
! CONTACT WORK­
SHOP
appears in the disp lay, there is a fa ult in
the system . Contact a qualified works hop to
have the fa ult rectif ied .
~,,., Checking the engine oil level
II Please add ma x. 1 qt of engine o il!
If the II symbol comes on , add 1 quart (1 li­
ter) of oil at the n ext opportunity
i::> page 180.
~tt, Engine oil sensor defective
If the II symbol illuminates, contac t your
authorized Aud i dea le r and have t he oil sensor
inspected .
(0) Worn brake pads
EiJ Brake pad s!
If the warning light illuminates, immed iate ly
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied wor kshop to have all brake pads i nspect­
ed. On USA models the war ning light
EiJ
comes on together w ith the w arning ligh t
1111. Both se ts of brake pads on an ax le
must a lways be rep laced at the same time.
A WARNING
-=
Driving with ba d brakes can cause a colli ­
sion and ser ious personal in jury.
- If the warn ing light
EiJ and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
-
pads! comes on in the instrument cluster ~

~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec· tive .
If a defective bulb has been detected by the
system or a light bulb burns out, the
II sym ­
bol with a message appears in the display to
tell you wh ich bu lb is bur nt out and where it is
located. For example:
R ea r left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears . If
you want to recall the message into the dis­ play, press the CHECK button
c::> page 10,
fig . 3 @ .
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appea r in the display:
- The light bulb has burnt out
c=> poge 224 .
- The fuse is "blown"¢ page 223, Replacing
fuses.
- T he w ire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective .
H ave the bulb rep laced or the connection re·
pa ired by you r authorized Aud i Servi ce depart­
ment.
A WARNING
- Light bu lbs are pressurized and co uld ex­
plode while they are being changed caus ­
ing serious persona l injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps . Failing to do so co uld re­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT t<®> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fa il·
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
K@ )] (Canada models) can appear . The follow­
i ng e lectr ica l components should be checked,
repaired or replaced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All w iring connections
- Brake light switch
Dr iver in formati on sys tem 35
Contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler for assis­
tance if necessary.
(0 Tips
The brake light sw itch is on ly inspected as
part of the functional chec k afte r the en­
gine is started .
fi.D Light/rain sensor defective
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys ­
tem.
If the symbol ftl illum inates, the light sensor
has failed. Fo r safety reasons, the low beams
are turned on permanently with the switch in
AUTO. However, yo u can cont inue to turn the
li ghts on and off using the light switch. In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor, the wind­
shield wiper lever functions are still availab le .
Have the light/ rain senso r checked as soon as
poss ib le at an autho rized Aud i dea ler.
1" IF{ Selector lever defective
Applies to vehic les : wi th R tronic
D 1;j Sele ctor l ever defectiv e! No rev ers e
ge ar!
If the symbols are il lum ina ted, the re is a mal·
funct io n in the R tronic selector lever. These·
l ector lever d isp lays go out o r flash.
It is not
poss ible to engage reverse gear . If you have
been shifting the transm iss ion manually, it
switches to a utomatic operation .
You can continue to shift the transm iss ion
manua lly. From the neu tral pos ition N, en­
gage first gea r by tapping the shift button
0
on the steering wheel. Then the transmission
rema ins in manual ope ration and you can se­
lect the gears using the sh ift b uttons.
Have the se lector lever checked as soon as
possible at an authorized Audi dea ler or other
qualified workshop.

electronic immobilizer is automatically acti­
vated once aga in.
If an unauthorized key was used, SAFE is dis­
played continuously in the odometer display
field.
~ WARNING
-
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle. The key can disarm the
electronic engine immobilizer and permit
an unauthorized person to start the engine
and enable operation of the vehicle sys ­
tems such as power window leading to se­
rious personal injury.
@ Tips
- The vehicle cannot be started if an unau­
thorized key is used . The vehicle may not
start if another radio device such as a key
for another vehicle or a transponder is
located on the key ring .
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
r::;, page 212.
Power locking system
General description
The power locking system locks or unlocks oil
doors simultaneously.
When opening and closing the doors , the
power locking system locks or unlocks
both
doors together.
The remote master key locks and unlocks the
doors using a radio signal
r::;, page 40.
Locking and unlocking with the key
You can also lock and unlock your vehicle us­
ing the key in the lock on the driver's door.
The unlocking and locking mode can be
changed in the Driver Information System
r::;,page24.
Both doors are locked automatically when the
vehicle is locked and the anti-theft alarm sys­
tem is activated.
Opening and closing 39
Auto Lock
The Auto Lock function locks all doors and the
front lid once speed has exceeded approxi­
mately 9 mph (15 km/h).
The car is unlocked automatically once the ig­
nition key is removed . In addition, the vehicle
can be unlocked if the power locking system
opening function~ is activated or one of the
door levers is used.
Turn signals
All the turn signals flash to indicate when the
vehicle is locked and unlocked. The turn sig­
nals flash twice when the vehicle is unlocked.
The turn signals flash once when all the doors
and the front lid are locked. The interior lights
are also switched on or off automatically ac­
cording to the position of the door contact
switch.
A WARNING
- When you lock your vehicle from outside,
nobody -especially children -should re­
main inside the vehicle. Remember,
when you lock the vehicle from the out­
side the windows cannot be opened from
the inside.
- When you leave the vehicle, always re­
move the ignition key and take it with
you. This will prevent passengers (chil­
dren, for example) from accidentally be­ ing locked in the vehicle should they acci­
dentally press the power locking switch
in one of the doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised. In an emergency it would
be impossible to open the doors from
the outside without the key.
(D Tips
-The driver's door can be locked and un­
locked with the key if the power locking
system fails. The passenger's door can
be locked manually
r::;, page 42.

The turn signals briefly flash once and the
horn sounds once when the doors and the
front lid are locked properly.
_& WARNING
- Be careful when closing the windows.
-
Check to see that no one is in the way, or
serious injury could result!
- Always read and heed WARNING
c::> .&. in
General description on page 39 .
@ Tips
-However, note that which door is un­
l ocked
mechanically when the vehicle is
opened depends on the settings in the menu display
c::> page 24.
- Both doors are locked automatically
when the vehicle is locked.
Locking and unlocking the vehicle from
inside
The vehicle can be locked or unlocked from
the inside using the power locking switch.
Fig. 34 Section from driver's door: Power lock ing
sw itch
To lock the vehicle
• Press the upper part of the power locking
switch
@Jc::, fig. 34 c::> ,& .
To unlock the vehicle
• Press the lower part of the switch~-
If you lock the vehicle using the power locking
switch, please note the following:
- You cannot open the doors from the
outside
(increased security, for example when you
are stopped at a red light).
Opening and closing 41
- The LED in the power locking switch lights
up when all the doors and the front lid are
closed and locked.
- You can unlock and open the doors from the
inside by pulling on the door handle.
- You cannot lock the vehicle with the central
locking switch when the driver's door is
open.
- If you have a crash and the airbag is activat­
ed, the doors automatically unlock.
_& WARNING
-If you use the power locking switch with
the doors closed, remember that all the
vehicle doors will lock.
- Locking doors from the inside can help
prevent inadvertent door opening during
an accident and can also prevent unwant­
ed entry from the outside. Locked doors
can, howeve r, delay assistance to vehicle
occupants and hold up rescue efforts
from the outside in an accident or other
emergency.

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on/off
Fig. 63 In str ume nt pa ne l: lig ht sw itc h (auto mat ic
head· a nd ta ill ig ht control)
Switching on the side marke r lights
... Turn the light switch to :oo::.
Switching on the headlights and high
beam
... Turn the light switch to §D.
.,. Push the h igh beam lever forwa rd towa rds
t h e instrument panel~
page 58 .
Sw itching off the lights
.,. Turn the light switch to 0 .
Sw itching on automatic head- and
taillight control
.,. Turn the light switch to AUTO ~ fig. 63 .
The headlig hts and tai lligh ts w ill come on au­
tomatically when the ignition is sw itche d on
and the light switch is in the position AU TO
(on ly in nig httime conditions). When switch·
ing off the ignit io n, the headlig hts wi ll go off
and only the side marker lights will remai n lit.
Daytime running lights
USA models: The daytime r unning lig hts will
come on a utomat ica lly when the ig nition is
sw itched on and the light switch is in the posi·
tion
AUTO (only in daylight conditions).
Canada models : Th e daytime runni ng lights
will come on a utomat ically when the ignition
is switched on and the light switch is in the
Clear vi sion 55
position 0 , AUTO (on ly in daylight conditions)
or ;oo :.
Automatic head- and taillight control
In the swi tch position AUTO the au tomati c
he ad- and t aillight con tro l is activ ated. Ligh t
senso rs ar e loca ted in t he i nside mir ro r h ous­
ing and co nstantly chec k the light cond itions
su rroundi ng the vehicle. If ambient bright­
ness fa lls below a factory set value (e .g. when
dr iv ing into a tunnel), the head- and tail lights
i ncl uding the license plate illuminati on are
automat ica lly t urned on . When ambient
brightness i ncreases aga in, the exte rnal ligh ts
ar e turned off aga in
c> &. . In the switch posi­
t ion
AUTO , the low beams are tur ned off when
th e ign ition is swi tched o ff. Th e rem aining
li gh ts are turned off when the key is ta ke n out
of the ignition lock.
W it h a utomat ic head- and taill igh t con trol,
t he h igh-beam fu nction is also ava ilable , bu t
with one rest ric t ion : If you have not sw itche d
the h igh beams back to low beams during a u­
tomat ic head light operat ion (for examp le, af­
ter driving through a tunnel), on ly the low
beams come on the next time automatic
headlig hts are switched on. To use the high
beams, yo u fi rst have to pull the h igh beam
lever back and then push the lever forwa rd
agam .
The side ma rke r lights a nd headlights ca n be
sw itc hed on manually by turn ing the light
swi tc h to the des ired pos ition .
Light sensor malfunction
If there is a light sensor ma lfunction, the
symbol
II comes on in the display . For safety
reasons, the low beams are tu rned on perma­
nently with t he sw itch in
AUTO . However, you
can con tinue to tu rn the lights on and off us­
in g t he light switch . Have t he ligh t sensor
c h eck ed as soon a s possib le a t an au thorized
A udi dealer.
Coming home/leaving home function
The function is sw itched on when the sw itch is
i n the
AUTO pos ition and th e funct ion is liJJ,,

56 Clear vision
shown as active in the driver information
system.
The
coming home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when the ignition is
switched off and the driver's door is opened.
The length of time the lights remain on can be
set in the menu display
(Lights> Exterior
lights> coming home) .
The leaving home function illuminates the
area around the vehicle when unlocking it.
.&_ WARNING
- Never use daytime running lights to see
where you are going. They are not bright enough and will not let you see far
enough ahead for safety, especially at dusk or when it is dark. Be aware of
changes in outside light conditions when
you are driving and respond by switching
on your low beams.
- Automatic head- and taillight control is
only intended to assist the driver. This
feature does not relieve the driver of his
responsibility to check the headlights
and to turn them on manually according
to the current light and visibility condi­
tions. For example, fog and rain cannot be detected by the light sensors. Conse­
quently, always switch the headlights on
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you 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.
(D Tips
- Always observe the specific local regula­
tions for your area when to use your
lights .
- Turn on low beams as evening ap­
proaches or in conditions of poor visibili­
ty.
- Do not attach stickers to the windshield
in front of the sensors as this can disable the automatic head- and
taillight control
and the automatic glare-dimming of the
rearview mirror(s)*.
- If you
remove the ignition from the igni­
tion lock while the headlights are still
on, a buzzer will sound as long as the
driver's door is open to remind you to
turn off the lights.
- In the AUTO mode, the low beams are
turned off when the ignition is turned
off. The remaining lights are turned off
when the key is taken out of the ignition .
- In cool or damp weather conditions the
headlights may fog
over temporarily on
the inside.
- The critical factor is the temperature
difference between the interior and the
exterior of the headlight lens.
- With the main beams switched on, the
light-emitting area will be free of con­
densation after a short time, however
the edges of the glass may still be fog­
ged.
- This physical phenomenon has no ef­
fect on the life of your vehicle's light­
ing system.
Instrument panel illumination
The illumination of the instruments, displays
and the center console can be adjusted.
Fig. 64 Instrument panel illumination
You regulate the brightness of the instru­
ments with the left thumbwheel
(-'1· ~ fig. 64.
A phototransistor integrated into the instru­
ment cluster controls the illumination of the
needles in it. When the lights are switched on,
the lighting for the center console and the
llll>

instruments (needles and dials) is automati­
cally adjusted to ambient conditions. The driv­
er can a lso ad just the brightness of the light­
ing.
Ignition ON , light switch at @
With the ignition swi tched O N, the glow of in­
strument needles
can be adjusted to appear
brighter or dimmer.
Ignition ON , light switch at coo; or gD .
With the l igh ts sw itched on, the bright ness of
in str ument cluster (i.e. needles, g auges and
disp lays) and center console i llumination can
be adjusted .
(D Note
The inst rument cl uster and cente r console
illum ination (ga uges and needles) comes
on when you switch on the ignition and the
vehicle headlights are off. Be aware of t he
following difference between mode ls built
to US or Canadian specifications:
- USA models: illumination of the inst ru­
ment cluster (ga uges and needles), das h
and center console around the gearsh ift
l ever is controlled by a light senso r locat­
ed in the instrument panel. The instru­
m ent pane l illumination will a utomat i­
call y become dimmer as t he day ligh t
fades away and eventually will go o ut
com plete ly when o utside light is ve ry
l ow. This is to rem ind you, the driver, to
switch on the headlights before it gets
too dark .
- Canada mode ls: instrument panel i llum i­
nat ion will stay bright regard less of the
i ntensity of amb ient light. Always be
aware of c hanges in outside light cond i­
t ions wh ile you are driving. Respond in
time to fadi ng daylight by tu rning the
l ight sw itch to posit ion
io (or "AUTO" if
you r ca r is equ ipped with th is featu re) to
turn on your hea dligh ts. Clear vi
sion 5 7
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation .
Fig. 65 Cent er consol e: eme rge ncy flas he r sw itc h
.,. Press the switc h l!J ~ fig. 65 to switch t he
emergency flasher on or off.
When the eme rgency f las her is on, all four
turn s ignal b link at t he same time . Th e turn
signal indicato r lights
1111 in t he instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the eme rgency
flasher switch ~ blink likew ise . The emergen­
cy flasher also works when the ignition is
switched off .
The eme rgency flasher will automatically
switch on if you are in an accident where the
airbag has deployed.
@ Tips
You sho uld switch on the emergency flash­
er when:
- you a re the last ve hicle standing in a t ra f­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- yo ur vehicle has bro ken dow n or you are
in an eme rgency s ituation, or when
- yo ur vehicle is be ing towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.

58 Clear vis ion
Turn signals and high beam lever
The lever is used to operate the turn signals
and the high beam as well as the headlight
flasher .
Fig. 66 Turn s igna l and high beam lever
The turn s ignal and high beam leve r has the
following functions:
Turn signals ¢ c::>
"" Lift the lever up all the way¢ fig. 66 to use
the right turn signals @, or push the lever
down all the way to use the left turn signals
@ .
""Move the lever (up or down) just to the point
of resistance to use the turn signals for as
l ong as you need them, for example when
changing lanes.
"" Briefly move the lever up or down just to the
po int of resistance and then release it to
flash the turn signals
three times in succes­
sion.
T his Convenience turn signal function
must be activated in the menu display
¢ page 24.
High beam [D
"" Push the lever forward @ to switch on the
high beam.
"" Pull the lever back towards you to switch off
the high beam.
Headlight flasher [D
"" Pull the lever toward the steering wheel @
to use the headlight flasher.
Notes on these features
- The turn signals only work with the ignition
switched on. The indicator lights
II or II in
t he instrument cluster¢
page 14 also blink. - After you have turned a corner, the turn sig­
na l switches off automatically .
- The
high beam works only when the head­
lights are on . The indicator light. in the
instrument cluster illuminates when the
high beams are on.
- The
headlight flasher works on ly as long as
you ho ld the lever -even if there a re no
lights switched on. The indicator light . in
the instrument cluster illuminates when you
use the headlight flasher.
(D Note
Do not use the high beam or headlight
flasher if you know that these could be
blinding oncoming traffic.
Interior Lights
Interior light s
The interior lights include the reading lights
for the driver and the front passenger.
Fig. 67 Sect ion from headliner: Interior lights
Activating door contact circuit
.,. Press the button@. The LED in the button
illumi nates.
Deactivating door contact circuit
"" Press the button @. The LED in the button
goes out.
Front reading lights ~
"" Press one of the switches @ to turn the
r ight or left reading l ight on or off.
With the door contact circuit, the interior
lights tur n on as soon as you unlock the vehi-
cle or open the doors. The interior lights are
Ill>

also turned on when the ignition key is re­moved. The lights turn off about 30 seconds
after the doors are closed. When the vehicle is
l ocked or when the ignit ion is turned on, the
interior light s are turned off .
When a door is open, the interior lights are
turned off after abo ut 10 m inutes to prevent
battery draining .
The brightness of the lights is controlled a u­
tomatically by a dimmer when they are sw itched on and off.
Luggage compartment light
The light is located on the right side of the
luggage compartment .
These lights come on automatically when the
front lid is opened. The lights turn off auto­
matically if the lid is left open for more then
10 minutes.
Vision
Sun visors
Using the sun visors makes driving safer.
Fi g. 68 Sun v isor
The vanity mirrors in the sun visors are eq uip­
ped with covers. Clear vi
sion 59
Wiper and washer
system
Windshield wiper
The windshield wiper lever controls both the
windshield wipers and the washer system.
F ig . 69 W ipe r leve r
The windshield wiper lever ¢ fig. 69 has the
follow ing positions:
Intermittent w iping ~l (act ivating r ain
sen sor)
.,. Move the lever up to position (D .
.,. Move the switch @to set the duration of
the wipe intervals or to adjust the sensitivity
of the light/ra in sensor .
Lo w wiper spe ed
.,. Move the lever up to position @.
High wiper speed
.,. Move the leve r up to posit ion @.
One-touch wiping
.,. Move the lever to position ©, when you
want to wipe the windsh ield
briefly .
Automatic wip er/ wa sh er
.,. Pull the lever to position ® (toward the
steering whee l) and hold .
.,. Release the lever. The washer system stops
and the wipers continue to operate for
about 4 seconds . Different numbers of wipe
cycles are performed depending on how
long the lever is he ld.
Turning off the w ipe rs
.,. Move the lever back to position @ .