warning light AUDI R8 SPYDER 2014 Owner's Guide

~ If you would like to save fuel, switch the air
conditio ning off.
~ If you open the w indows wh ile driving,
switch the air conditioning off.
~ If the vehicle is extremely hot due to the
heat of the sun, briefly open doo rs and win­
dows .
@ For the sake of the environment
When you save fuel, you reduce em iss ions
from the vehicle.
Rear window defogger
The rear window defogger clears the rear win­
dow of cond ensation .
~ Press the~ button ¢ page 63, fig . 71 to
turn the rear window defogge r on and off.
The rear w indow defogger works only when
the engine is ru nning. The indicator light in
the button illuminates when the rear w indow
defogger is tu rned on .
The window between the cockpit and engine
compa rtment is also cleared with the rear
w indow .
The rear w indow defogger is switched
off au­
tomatically after approx. 10 minutes.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the rea r win dow is clear, yo u
should switch the rear window defogger
off . The reduced power cons umption has a
be neficial effect on fuel consumption.
Heated seats
App lies to vehicles: with heated seats
The seat cushion and the seatback of the
front seats can be heated electrically.
~ Press the heated seats b utton I-J + I
c:> page 63, fig. 71 to set the level of heati ng
desired.
The range of controls goes from 1 to 3. The
heat sett ing selected is shown by LEDs above
the button.
Warm and c old 67
A WARNING
Individuals wit h reduced sensitivity to pai n
or temperature cou ld deve lop bur ns when
us ing the seat heat ing funct ion. To red uce
the r is k of injury, these ind ividuals should
not use seat heating.
Q) Note
To avoid damage to the heat ing e lements
i n the seats, do not kneel o n the sea ts or
p lace heavy loads o n a small area of the
seat.

you leave your vehicle. This makes vehicle
theft even more difficu lt
r=:, .&. .
Ign ition on @
After switch ing the ignition on, the needles
move all the way up and then down.
If it is difficult to turn the key after you have inserted it into the ignit ion lock, turn the
steer ing whee l 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 starts. While the
engine is start ing, the power supply to the
headlights and other e lectr ica l cons umers is
temporari ly inter rupted to conserve battery
power. After the engine has started, release
the key and it will return to position @.
Before the starter can be operated again the
key must be turned back to position
(D . The
non-repeat lock prevents you from damaging
the starter when the engine is running.
A WARNING
- Never remove the key from the ign ition
lock while the vehicle is moving. The
steering wheel will lock causing loss of
control.
- If you have to leave your veh icle - even
for just a m inute - a lways remove the ig­
nition key and take it with you. This is es­
pecially important if you a re going to
leave ch ildren behind i n the vehicle. The
children co uld s tart the engine or use
other vehicle controls . Unsupervised use
of vehicle controls (for example, power
windows) can cause serious personal in­
juries.
@ Tips
I f the veh icle bat tery has been d isconnect­
ed and then reconnected, then you must
leave the key in pos ition @for abo ut 5
seconds before you can start the engine.
-
On th e ro ad 69
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig­
inal Audi key.
On vehicles with S tron ic*, the e ngine can be
sta rted in the neut ra l position N and in each
gear (1 - 7 a nd R).
" Set the park ing brake
r=:, & .
"On veh icles with manual transmiss ion*, fully
dep ress the clutch peda l.
" Press and hold the brake peda l.
" Tur n the igni tion key to pos it ion @
r=:> page 68, fig . 74 -do not depress the gas
peda l when sta rting the engine .
... Let go of the key as soon as the engine
starts - the starter m ust not cont inue to
run. On vehicles w ith S tronic, select gear
position N.
A cold engine may at first be loud after it has
been started. This is due to the hydraulic
valves bu ild ing up the oil p ressure . Th is is nor­
mal and no need for concern .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine about 30 seconds later .
A WARNING
- Never start or let the engine run in a con­
fined or enclosed area. Exhaust fumes
from the eng ine contain carbon mono x­
ide, a co lor less and odorles s gas. Carbon
monox ide can be fata l if inh aled.
- Never leave the engine id ling una ttend­
ed. An unat tended ve hicle with a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft .
- With the engine r unning and a gear en ­
gaged, you have to hold the veh icle w ith
the foot bra ke.

70 On the road
(D Note
-Avoid hig h engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­
gine is still cold. Th is could damage the
engine.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
veh icle stand and warm up. Be ready to
drive off immediately after starting your
veh icle.
Stopping the engine
On vehicles w ith S tronic*, the engine can be
turned off in the neutral position N and in
each gear (1 -7 and R).
~ Turn the ign ition key to position ©
r:::>page 68, fig . 74 .
_& WARNING
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- Th e 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 .
Since you cannot steer and stop norma l­
ly, this can lead to accidents and serious
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 engine is switched 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 75.
- If the engine has been under heavy load
for an extended period of time, it can be­
come extremely hot. You should not park your vehicle over easily combustib
le ob ­
jects or areas (e .g. grass or leaves). There
is a risk of starting a fire.
(D Tips
After the engine has been switched off, the
radiator fan can continue to run for up to
10 minutes -even with the ignition switch­
ed off. It can also sw itch on again after
some time if the coolant temperature rises
as the result of heat buildup or if the en­
gine compartment is heated by the sun's
rays and the engine is hot.
Parking brake
Parking brake
When the parking brake is set, it prevents the
vehicle from rolling away unintentionally
Fig. 75 Center co nsole : Parking brake set
Sett ing the parking brake
~ Pull the parking brake lever all the way up.
Releasing the parking brake
~ Pull the parking brake lever up slight ly and
press the release button at the same time
r:::>fig. 75-arrow- .
~ Keep the release button pressed and lower
the park ing brake ¢,& .
If you shou ld drive off with the parking brake
still set, a warning tone will sound and the
following message will appear in the instru­
ment cluster to remind you to release the
parking brake:
Handbrake is applied

The parking brake warning comes on only af ­
ter you hav e drive n for longer than 3 seconds
and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h).
The parking b rake warning light _
(USA)/ . (CON) illuminates when the parking
brake is set and you switc h on the ignition .
A WARNING
Always release the parking brake com­
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce the ir ef­
fectiveness and cause excess ive wear . This
could lead to brake failure and an accident .
On ly after the vehicle has come to com­
plete stop, should you f irm ly set the park­
ing brake and move the gearshift lever into
a gear.
Parking
Parking
"' Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
"' Set the parking brake firmly.
"' Swi tch off the e ngine .
"' Engage a gear
~ ,&. .
In addition on inclines and grad es
"' Turn the steer ing whee l so that your vehicle
will ro ll against the curb i n case it should
sta rt to move .
A WARNING
This is how yo u can reduce the risk of in­
jury when leaving your veh icle.
- Never pa rk the vehicle whe re it can come
in contac t wi th dry grass, spille d fu el or
any othe r flammable materials.
- Never allow a nyone - especially small
children -to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. Locked doors ma ke it mo re
difficult for rescuers to access the pas ­
senger compartment in the event of an emergency . Danger to life!
- Never leave c hildren unsupervised in the
vehicle . Children co uld re lease the park-
-
On th e ro ad 71
ing brake or move the gearsh ift leve r out
of gear. The vehicle could start to ro ll
away and cause an acc ident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem ­
perature in a parked ve hicle can reach
dangerous leve ls.
Starting on hills
App lies to vehicles : wi th hill ho ld assist
Hill ho ld assist makes it eas ier to start on
hill s.
The system is activated when the brake peda l
is depressed
for a few second s.
After releasing the brake ped al, the brake
power is held for a
brief moment t o p reven t
the ve hicle from rolling back when starting . A t
this time, you can easi ly begin to move your
vehicle.
A WARNING
- If you did not begin moving immed iate ly
after releasing the brake pedal, under
certa in circumstances, the vehicle would
begin to roll backwa rd . Dep ress the
brake peda l imm ediate ly o r engage the
hand b rake.
- Should t he eng in e sta ll, dep ress th e
bra ke peda l immediate ly o r engage the
ha nd br ake.
- In o rder to prevent the vehicl e from roll­
ing back unintentionally whe n starti ng in
s top-and-go tr affic, keep the br ake ped al
depressed fo r a few seconds be fore driv­
in g off .
(D Tips
You can find o ut if yo ur vehicle is equ ipped
wi th "Hi ll hold ass ist" at a n au thori ze d
A udi dealersh ip.

indicate that the maximum speed has been
stored successfully. The maximum speed re­ mains stored until it is changed by pressing
the button again briefly or until it is deleted
by a lengthy push on the button.
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Switches in the wiper arm ore used to operate warning threshold 2.
--------, @
Fig. 78 Controls
To store maximum speed
"'Turn off the ignition.
"'Br iefly press the button in the instrument
cluster
c::> page 72, fig. 77. The odometer
and the digital clock are now illuminated.
"' Press the button for at least 2 seconds. The
currently stored maximum speed appears in
the display
or the crossed out symbol for
warning threshold 2, if no maximum speed
was set previous ly.
"' Press the function selector switch in the
wiper lever @
c::> fig. 78 up or down to
change the set value . Values run up or down
in steps of 6 mph (10 km/h).
To delete maximum speed
"'Turn off the ignition.
"' Briefly press the button in the instrument
cluster
c::> page 72, fig. 77 . The odometer
and the digital clock are now illuminated.
"' Press the button for at least 2 seconds . The
currently stored maximum speed appears in
the display.
"' Press the
l"'R-=E =s =ET =I button in the wiper lever
® c::> fig . 78 until the crossed out speed
warning symbo l for warning threshold 2 ap­
pears in the display.
On the road 73
A few seconds after the adjustment is com­
pleted, the illumination for the odometer and
the d igital clock will go out.
(D Tips
This warning threshold can also be con­
trolled through the trip computer
c::> page 23, Navigating the menu.
Cruise control
Switching the system on
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph (30 km/h).
®-
Fig. 79 Control lever with set button
Fig. 80 D isplay: Se lected speed
"' Pull the lever to position (D c::> fig. 79 to
switch the system on.
"' Drive at the speed you wish to set.
"' Press button @ to set that speed.
T he disp lay
c::> fig. 80 will show the set speed.
The display may vary depending on the type of
display in your vehicle. The indicator light
M;W~1~ (US model) I. (Canadian model) will
also light up in the instrument cluster . .,..

_& 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 @.

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
-

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.