warning AUDI R8 SPYDER 2012 Repair Manual

even if the parking brake is firmly ap­
plied.
- Before you or other persons open the en­
gine compartment lid and work on a r un­
ning eng ine, se lect neutral position
N
and firmly apply the handbrake. Follow
the warning notes .
(D Tips
If you accidentally sh ifted into N whi le
driving, you can engage a gear in the nor­
mal way using the selector lever.
Manual operation
App lies to vehicles: with R tron ic
R 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 se lector lever forward
0 -
.. Re lease the brake pedal and acce lerate
c> _& .
Shifting
.. To shift up, tap the selector lever fo rward
0 -
.. To shift down, tap the selector lever to the
rear
0 .
Stopp ing temporarily
.,. Prevent the ve hicl e from mov ing by using
the foot brake, e.g. at t raffic signa ls.
.. Do not accelerate.
If you do not press either
the brake peda l or the acce lerator pedal for
some time when stat ionary, neutral position
N is engaged automatically and a ch ime
sounds.
P a rking
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal¢_& .
.. Apply the hand brake f irm ly.
.. Engage a gear.
.. Switc h the ignition
off .
Tran sm iss ion 79
Stopping on an incline
.. Always keep t he veh icle s tat io nary using
the foot brake to prevent it from "rolling
back" ¢_& . D o
not try to p revent the vehi­
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing engine speed.
.. App ly the hand brake firmly.
Sta rting on a hill
.. With a gear engaged, remove your foot
from the brake, acce lerate and slowly re ­
lease the hand brake .
When accelera ting, R tronic shifts into the
next gear i n gea rs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 short ly be­
fore the maxim um permissible engine speed
is reached. Exception: You have activated the
sport funct ion ¢
page 78.
If you have se lected a lower gear tha n the c ur­
rent one, R tro nic wi ll shift down only when
the engine will not be over-revved .
You can swi tch to a utomat ic operation at any
time
c> page 80 .
_& WARNING
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r u nning while in gear . If you must leave
your veh icle w ith the engine r unning, set
the park ing brake fi rm ly and engage neu­
tral N.
- With the engine r unning and a gear en­
gaged, you have to hold the ve hicle w ith
the foot brake .
- Do not accelerate when you s hift gears
wit h the vehicle stationary and the en­
g ine runni ng .
- Before dr iving dow n a steep slope, re­
duce your sp eed and shift i nto a lowe r
gea r with R tronic.
- Do not ride the brakes or apply the bra ke
pedal too ofte n or too long . Constant
b ra ki ng c auses the brakes to ove rheat
a nd substantially redu ce s bra king per­
form ance, in cre ases br aking d ist ance or
causes complete fa il ur e of the brake sys ­
tem .

80 Transmi ssion
(0 Note
If you must stop on an incline, always hold
the vehicle in place w ith the foot brake to
prevent it from roll ing back. Never hold
the vehicle on an incline w ith a slipping
clutch. The clutch was overloaded if
Clutch
overheat ing! If possib le pl ea se st op ve hi­
cle appears in the Driver Information Sys­
t em disp lay.
Automatic operation
Ap plies to ve hicles : wit h R tro nic
The forward gears are shifted up or down au­
tomatically.
Startin g from a stop
11-Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
11-Tap the se lector lever towards A .
... Re lease the brake pedal and acce lerate
¢ ,& in Manual operation on page 79 .
Under certain circumstances (driving in the
mounta ins for example), it can be beneficia l
to switch tempo rarily to the manual shift pro­
g ram ¢
page 79in order to adjust th e gear ra­
tios to driv ing cond itions
manually.
Kick-down
A ppl ies to vehicles : wit h R tro nic
When you depress the accelera to r pedal be­
yond the resistance po int, R tron ic downsh ifts
into a lower gear, depending on vehicle speed
and engine rpm. The ups hift into the next
h igher gear takes place once the max imum
specified engine speed is reached. Exception:
You have activated the sport funct ion .
A WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin
if kick-down is used on a smooth slippery
road -there is a risk of skidding.
Launch Control Program
App lies to veh icles : w it h R tro nic
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
I!! but ­
ton one time. The ESC ind icator light
I in
the Driver Information System d isplay illu­
m inates and the message
ESP sport - Warn ­
ing! R estr icted stability
appears .
... Press the b rake pedal w it h your l eft foot
and hold i t down.
11-Eng age a gear.
11-Press the I SPORT I button on the selector
lever cover .
... Press the accelerator peda l wit h your right
foot sim ultaneously until the engine has
reached a constant speed .
... Remove your left foot from the brake¢,& .
A WARNING ,-
-Always adapt your dr iving to the traffic
f low.
- Onl y use Launch Control when road and
traffic cond itions allow it and ot her dr iv­
ers will not be endange red o r annoyed by
your driving and the vehicle's ac celera­
t ion .
- Please note that t he d riving wheels ca n
sp in and the vehicle can br eak away
when ESC is swi tched off, especially
when the roa d is s lippery.
- Once the s tarting procedure is comple te,
you sho uld sw itch ESC on again by press ­
i n g the
I!] switch.
(D Tips
When a ccele rat ing using the Lau nch Con­
t rol program, all vehicle parts are s ubje ct
to heavy loads . This can result in increase d
wear .
-

Rear vi ew camer a coverage area
The rearview camera shows you the a rea be­
hind your vehicle in the navigation system dis­
p lay. This area roughly corresponds to the
area in¢
fig . 92 and (!) ¢fig. 93 . Orientation
lines and colored surfaces are projected in the
area shown, which can help you with parking
and maneuvering. Objects that are located in
an area that is not captured by the camera @
¢
fig. 93 and that are closer to the bumper
will not appear on the nav igation system dis ­
p lay.
We recommend that you practice park ing with
the rearview camera in a traffic-free location
or pa rking lot to become familiar w ith the sys­
tem, the o rientation l ines, and their function.
There should be sufficient light and good
weather conditions when doing so.
I n the nav igat io n system disp lay, objects or
veh icles appear closer or fu rther away if:
Objects or vehicles appear closer or farther
away in the navigation system if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level
surface onto an incline, or a downward
slope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward pro-
truding objects.
The accuracy of the orientation lines and blue
surfaces dimin ishes if:
- the rearview camera does not provide a reli­ able image, for examp le, in poor visibility
cond itions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visible due to
sun g lare and reflect ion .
Caring f or the re arvi ew cam era len s
The rearview camera is located i n the center
of the vehicle above the rear license plate bra cket. In o rder for the rearview camera to
f u nction properly, the came ra lens must be
kept clean and free of snow and ice .
- Dampen the lens with a househo ld alcoho l­
based glass cleane r, and clean the lens with
a dry cloth.
Par king system 83
- Remove snow with a hand br ush and ice
preferably with a de-icing spray ¢(D .
A WARNING
-The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsib le for parking and similar driving
maneuvers.
- Sensors have blind spots in wh ich objects
can not be detected. Pay spec ia l attent ion
to small children and an imals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
sur ro undings, us ing the rearv iew mirro r
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted from traffic by the rearv iew camera pic­
tures in the navigat ion system display.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end collision, do not conti nue
to use the system for safety reasons.
Have it checked by an au thori zed A ud i
dea ler or other q ualified workshop .
(D Note
-Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
wa rni ng can disappear from the system's
detect ion range as they are app roached
and wi ll not continue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as barrier chains, trailer d raw
bars, narrow painted vertica l poles or
fences may not be detected by the sys­ tem, posing risk of damage.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove snow or ice from the rearv iew camera
lens because the lens could crack.
- Never use products that are abrasive when clean ing the lens.
-

84 Parking sy stem
Switching on /off
Appl ies to vehicles: with park ing system advanced
Fig. 9 4 Section of the center console: Pa rk assist
switch
F ig. 95 Nav igatio n system disp lay: visual distance dis ­
play
Switching on
• Switch the navigation system and the navi­
gation system display on.
• Engage the reverse gear, or
• Press the
l"" I switch in the cente r console
¢ fig. 94. A short confirmation tone sounds
and the indica tor light in the swi tch lights
u p.
Switching betwe en the rear v iew camera
and vi sual display
• Press the Graphic con trol button
¢ page 85, fig. 96 to see the visua l dis­
play.
• Press the
Rear view contro l button to see
the rear view camera image
¢ fig. 95.
Switching off
• Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
• Press the
l"" I switch, or
• Switch off the ignition .
Segments in the vi sual display
T he red segmen ts in front o f and behind the
vehicle ¢
fig. 95 help you to determine the
distance between you and an obstacle. As
your vehicle comes closer to the obstacle, the
segments move closer to the vehicle. The col­
lis ion area has been reached when the next to
last segment is displayed. Do not continue
driv ing farther ¢
Ii::.. in General Information
on page 83!
A WARNING
- The navigation system d isp lay cannot
show, or c an not adequately show, cer­
tain objec ts (s uch a s sma ll posts o r gra ­
ting), recesses in the ground and p ro ­
trud ing parts on another car.
- Only use t he rearv iew came ra to assist
you if it shows a good, clear picture. For examp le, the image may be affected by
the sun shining into the lens, d irt on the
lens or if there is a defect.
(D Tips
- The sensors m ust be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate.
- Yo u can change the volume and pitch of
the s ignals ¢
page 86 .
-What appea rs in the disp lay is time -de­
layed.
-

Reverse parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 96 Navigation system display: Aiming at a parking
spot
Fig. 97 Navigation system display: Al ign ing the veh icle
~ Switc h the navigation system and the dis­
play of the navigation system on.
~ Select the reverse gear.
~ Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines(!) appear in the parking
spot
9 fig. 96. Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle.
Each marking represents 3
ft. (1 m). The
blue area represents an extension of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16
ft. (5 m)
to the rear.
~ While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking spot
with the a id of the orange orientation lines
9(D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle once the red orientation line©
touches an object
9 ,&. .
A WARNING
-The rearview camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle~
page 82,
fig. 93. Watch out especially for small
Parking system 85
children and animals. The rear view cam­
era cannot always detect them, posing
risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be farther away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a vehicle or the rear of a
truck). In this case, you should not use
the orientation lines to help with park­
ing, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system display, the direc­
tion of travel of the vehicle rear is repre­
sented depending on the steering wheel
angle. The vehicle front swings out more
than the vehicle rear. Maintain plenty of
distance so that your outside mirror or a
corner of your vehicle does not collide with
any obstacles. This can damage to your ve­ hicle.
Parallel parking
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street.
Fig. 98 Navigat ion system display: Blue surface
a ligne d with parking spot
Fig. 99 Navigat ion system display: The blue curved line
contacting the curb
IJi,,-

86 Parking system
The following steps app ly only when there is
no obstacle such as a wall near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the informat ion
prov ided in the "Parking Next to Obstacles"
section.
.. Activate the turn signal.
.. Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3 ft. (1 m) from a parked vehicle .
.. Switch the navigation system and the nav i­
gat ion system d isplay on.
.. Se lect rev erse gear . T he parking aid turns
on and pa rking mode 1 appea rs on the dis­
play.
.. Press the cont ro l button 1 on the nav iga­
tion system ¢
fig. 98. Parking mode 2 ap­
pears .
.. Back up and align your vehicle so the b lue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle or on the parking spot line. The blue area
represents an extension of the ve hicle's out ­
line by approximately 16 ft (5 meters) to the
r ear. The long side of the blue area shou ld
be o n the curb. The entire blue area must fit
i n to the par king spot .
.. Wi th the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
wheel to the right as far as it wi ll go .
.. Back into the parking spot unti l the blue
curve to uches the curb¢
fig. 99. Stop the
vehicle .
.. With the veh icle stopped, turn the steer ing
whee l to the left as fa r as it wi ll go .
.. Co nti nu e to back into the pa rk ing spot until
the vehicle is par ked para llel to the curb. @
ma rks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line@ borders an
obje ct ¢ .&,. . Keep an eye on the fron t of
yo ur vehicle while doing this
c> (D.
Parking next to obstacles
When the re is an obsta cle (suc h as a wall)
next to the pa rking spot, choose a spot w ith
mo re space on the sides. Pos ition the long
side of the blue area so t hat there is sufficient
space from the c urb. The area must not be on
the c urb. Yo u wi ll also need to start turning
the steering wheel much ear lier. There should
be a suffic ient amount of space between the c
ur b and the blue curve, and the b lue curve
c> fig. 99 must not touch the curb.
A WARNING
--The rearview came ra does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle¢
page 82,
fig. 93. Watch out especially for small
children and anima ls . The rear view cam ­
era can not always detect them, posing
ris k of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the ground can appear to be farther away
than they really a re (fo r example, the
bumper of a vehicle or the rear of a
t ruck). In th is case, you should not use
the orientation lines to help wi th par k­
ing, which poses dan ger of an accident!
(D Note
In the navigation system disp lay, the direc­
tion o f tra ve l o f th e veh icle re ar is rep re­
sented depend ing on the steering wheel
angle. The vehicle front swings out mo re
than the vehicle rear . Ma inta in p lenty of
distance so that your o utside mirror or a
corner of you r vehicle does not coll ide with
any obstacles . This can damage to your ve­
hicle .
@ Tips
The left o r right orientation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on t he
turn s ignal being used .
Adjusting the warning tones
Applies to vehicles: with parking system advanced
Fi g. 100 N av igation syste m dis pl ay: a djustin g t he
park ing syst em

88 Homelin k®
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 88, Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter.
In order to program the Homelink® transmit­
ter for devices utilizing rolling code, a second person on a ladder who can safely reach the
garage door 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 required by federal 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, signaling 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 standing 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 electrical components
-an
overheated motor is a fire hazard!
- To avoid possible injuries or property
damage, please always make absolutely
certain that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment 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 222.
Programming the Homelink ®
transmitter
The transmitter is programmed in two phas­
es. For rolling code transmitters, a third
phase is also necessary.
~----------------- ~ ,:.
~
Fig. 101 Overhead console: Homeli nk® keypad
I
'-..~0000 - - ,r.;-_ - -
Fig. 102 Fro nt bumper , driver side : loc ation of trans -
mi tter unit ..,_

Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as for that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Make certain that you follow the instruc­
tions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual. It is in your interest and in the
interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete owner's litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor­
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations .
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an
Driving Safely 91
accident. The following is a listing of just a
few of the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners ,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags,
- side airbags in the seats
- adjustable head restraints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features can work to­
gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always properly adjusted and
properly used!
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
~ Make sure that all lights and signals are op­
erating correctly .
~ Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
~ Make sure that all windows are clean and
afford good visibility to the outside.
~ Secure all luggage and other items carefully
c::>page 62.
~ Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
~ Adjust front seat, head restraint and mir­
rors correctly for your height .
~ Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height .
~ Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 130,
Child Safety.
~ Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same¢
page 59,
Seats and storage. .,..
•
•

92 Driving Safel y
• Fasten your safety belt and wear it proper ly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts proper ly
¢ page 101.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi­
tion of the vehicle, the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the rood
without being distracted.
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
¢ .&, .
Therefore:
• Do not let yourself be distracted by passen­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER drive when your dr iving ability is im­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.) .
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traff ic
and weather condit ions.
• Take frequent breaks on long trips . Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch .
• Do NOT drive when you are tired , under
pressure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING , .
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when­
ever a vehicle is being used .
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor­
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 104 Correct seat ing posit ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
following position:
• Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween the steering wheel and your breast
bone¢
fig . 104 .
• Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢.&, .
• Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible .
• Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face.
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position so that your back
comes in full contact with it when yo u drive.
• Fasten and wear safety be lts correctly
¢ page 102.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times .

For detailed information on how to adjust the
dr iver's seat, see
¢ page 59, Seats and stor­
age.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it deploys. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in­
flates
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple ­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
Driving Safely 93
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢ page 130. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
¢ page 109.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
"' Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
"' Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible
¢ page 94.
"' Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
"' Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 104.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 59, Seats
and storage.
A WARNING
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it deploys. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
•
•