Audi R8 Spyder 2011 User manual

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2011 Audi RS Spyder
Owner's Manual
Audi
Vorsprung durch Technik

Introduction
Thank you for choosing an Audi R8 Spyder -we value your trust in us.
Your new Audi R8 Spyder incorporates the newest technology as well as numer -
ous features designed fo r your comfo rt, convenience and safety . We recommend
you read your Owner's Manual tho roughly so that you can qu ickly become ac-
quain t ed with your Audi .
In addition to explaining how the different features work , we also give you many
usef ul tips and information concerning your safety and t hat of yo ur passengers,
how to care fo r you r vehicle and maintain your vehicle's value.
We hope you enj oy driving your Audi R8 Spyder and we w ish you safe and pleas-
ant motor ing .
AUDIAG

2 Table of contents
Vehicle literature .......... . . . .
About this Owner's Manual . ..
Controls and equipment . . . .. .
Cockpit ... ................ . . . . .
General illu strat ion .............. .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ............... .
Instruments . . . ........ . . . . . . . .. .
Warning/indicator ligh ts . . . . . . . . . . .
Driver information system . . .
I ntroduction . . . ........ . . . . . . . .. .
Service interval disp lay ........ . . . .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) .. .
Trip computer ................... .
Menu display ................... .
Lap timer . . .................. . . .
Speed war ning system ...... . ... . . .
5
6
8
8
8
10
10
14
20
20
21
21
22
24
26
28
Warnings and symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Opening and closing ....... . . .
Keys . . ........................ .
Power locking system ............ .
Front lid . . . ................ . . . . .
Anti -t heft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . .
Power win dows .......... . . . . . .. .
Convertible top .............. .
Convertible top ........ . . . . . . . .. .
Wind deflector . ........ . . . . . . . .. .
Rear window .................... .
Convertible top emergency operation .
Clear vision . . ........ . . . . . . . .. .
Lights . . . . ................ . . . .. .
Inter ior lights ................... .
V1s1on. . .. . .................. . . .
Wiper and washer system ... . . . . . . .
Mir rors . . . . . . . .. ..... ... ... . . . . .
Digital compass ................. .
Seats and storage .. . . . . . . . . . . .
37
37
39
42
43
44
46
46
48
48
49
55
55
58
59
59
62
64
66
General recomme ndat ions . . . . . . . . . 66
Power seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Head restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Cup holder . ... . . . . . .......... . . .
Ashtray . . . . ... . . . . . .......... . . .
Cigarette lig hter/socket ........... .
68
69
69
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Warm and cold . . . .......... . . .
Climate controls . . ............... .
Rear window defogger ............ .
Heated seats . ... ............... .
On the road . . . .............. . .
Steering ....................... .
Ig nit ion lock and ign iti on switch .... .
Starting the engine .............. .
Stopping the engine . ... .... . ... . .
Parking brake ................... .
Cruise control . ................ .. .
Audi mag net ic ride . . . .......... . . .
Manual transmission ........ .
Launch Control Prog ram ...... . . . . .
Automated manual
transmission ................. .
Description . ... . . . . . .......... . . .
Manual operation . . . . .......... . . .
Automatic operation . .......... . . .
Kick-down . . ... . .............. .. .
Launch Control Program .......... .
Steering wheel with shift paddles ... .
Parking system .... ......... .. .
Parking system advanced ......... .
Homelink ® ................... .
72
72
76
76
77
77
77
78
79
79
81
82
84
84
85
85
86
87
87
87
87
89
89
95
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Proper occupant seating positions . . . 100
Driver and passenger side footwe ll . . . 103
Stowing lug gage . ................ 104
Reporting Safety Def ects. . . . . . . . . . . 105
Active rollover protection system . . . . 107

Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Ill ustrating the pr inciple of an
accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
How are safety belts worn correctly? 112
Safety belt pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 115
Airbag system . . ...... . ... . . . . . 117
Important th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 117
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 1
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
Syst em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Child Safety ........... . . . . . . . .
I mportant things to know . . . . . . . . . .
Child safety seats . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Instal li ng a chi ld safety seat . . . . . . . .
Addit ional Information ........... .
Vehicle operat ion .. . . . . . . . . . . .
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . .
Not ice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules .......... . ... . . . .
Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)
Rear spoiler .......... ....... ... .
Braking . . . . . . ... ... .... . ... . . . . .
Power steering .................. .
Driving w ith your quat t ro® . . . . . . . . .
Energy management ... . . . . . . . . . . .
Dry sump lubr ication ... . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving and environment .... .
Break-in period . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving through water on roads . . . . .
Catalytic converter ........ . ... . . . .
Sporty driving . . .......... . . . . . . . .
Operation and maintenance . . . . . . . .
Trailer towing ................... .
Vehicle care .................. .
Cleaning and protection ..... .
General information ... ... . . . . . . . .
138
13 8
143
14 6
149
150
150
150
150
152
153
154
155
155
157
158
158
158
158
159
159
160
161
161
16 1
Care of exte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 1
Care of inter ior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Table of contents 3
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . 170
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Checking and filling . .... . . . . . .
Engine compartment lid ........ . . .
Engine oil ... . . . . . . . ............ .
Engine cooling system ............ .
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ... . . . .
Battery ...... . . . . . ............. .
Replacing the battery ............ .
Windsh ield washer container
Tires and wheels . . . . .... . . . . . .
175
175
178
181
184
184
18 7
188
189
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Tire pressure mo nitoring system
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .............. .
Operating your vehicle outs ide the
U.S.A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Literature . . . . . . . . ... . .......... .
Maintenance . . . . . . . . ............ .
Additional accessories, modif ications
and parts replacement ........... .
Declarat ion of Compliance,
Telecommunication or Electron ic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . ............ .
Do- it-yourself service ........ .
What do I do now? ........... .
Trunk escape handle ........... . . .
Breakdown kit ... . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
Tire repair . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
What shou ld I be aware of when
h . t ' ? c anging a ,re. . . . .............. .
Jump-starting . . . ..... . .......... .
Emergency towing wit h commercial
tow truck .... . . . . . ............. .
Fuses and bulbs .............. .
Electr ical fuses . ... . ............. .
Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... ... . . . .
206
209
209
209
209
209
211
2 12
213
213
2 13
213
213
216
219
222
223
223
224
•
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4 Table of contents
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 6
General information . . . . . . . . . . 226
Explanation of technical data . . . . . . . 226
Vehicle ident ific at ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Weight s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
R8 Spyder 4 .2 quatt ro ....... . . . . . .
R8 Spyder 5 .2 quattro .. . ... . . . . . . .
Dimensions . . . . . .. .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Capacit ies (approx.) ........ . . . . . . .
Inde x . ... . .......... . ....... . . .
228
228
228
229
229
230

I n addition to t his Owner's Manual, your Audi
comes w ith a Warranty & Maintena nce book-
let.
Moreover, dependi ng on t he mode l and t he
equip ment, t here may be additiona l instr uc-
tion booklets delivered w ith your vehicle (for
examp le, Operat ing Instr uctions f or your
Sound System, Navigation System etc .).
If you are m issing one of these publicat ions,
or if you believe that the inf ormation is not
comp lete, contact you r aut horized Audi dealer
for assistance.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how you can keep your Audi in top
driving condition by having it serviced regular -
ly and conta ins deta iled info rmat ion about
the warranties covering your Audi. Always
have the book let with you when you take your
vehicle to an auth orized Audi dealer for serv-
ice. Your Audi Service Adviser w ill record each
schedul ed service and can answer any ques-
tions you may have regarding how to maintain
your vehicle.
In Canada,
t he vehicle lite ratu re is also available in
French. To obtai n a copy, contact your dealer
or w rit e to :
Au Canada, on peut se procure r un exempla ire
en fran~ais de ce document aupres du conces-
sionna ire ou de:
Volkswagen Canada, Inc.
Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clientele
777 Bayly Street, West,
Aj ax, Ontario LIS 7G7
If you sell your Audi
all literature should be left in the vehicle to
make the Warranty terms as well as all oper-
ating, safety and maintenance information
available t o the next owner.
Vehicle literature 5
If you change your address or if you
bought this Audi used
be sure to send in a "Notice of Addr ess
Change"/ " Notice of Used Car Purchase" post
card. This card can be fo und in the War ranty&
Maint enance booklet or obtained from your
autho rized Audi dealer.
It is in your own interest that we are able to
contact you should the need arise .
•
•

6 About this Owner 's Manual
This owner's manua l contains important infor-
mation, tips, suggestions, and warnings for
the use of your vehicle.
Make sure that this owner's manua l is always
located in the vehicle. This is especially impor-
tant if you allow other people to drive the ve-
hicle, or if you sell it.
This owner's manua l describes the equipment
range specified for this mode l at the editoria l
deadline date. Some of the equipment descri-
bed here will on ly be available at a later date,
or only in specific markets.
Some sections in this owner's manua l do not
apply to all vehicles . In that case, the range of
applicability is given at the beginn ing of the
section, e.g. "Applies to vehicles: w ith Rtron-
ic". In addition, optional equipment is indicat-
ed by an asterisk"*" .
The details in the illustrations may be differ -
ent from those in your vehicle, and are intend-
ed to be viewed as a basic guide.
Please note that the pictures in this manual
show the European Audi RB model. It may
show features not available in North America.
You will find a table of contents at the begin-
ning of this book, whic h disp lays all topics de-
scribed in th is manual in order of appearance.
You will find an alphabetical index at the end
of this book .
All directions, such as " left", "right", "front",
"back", are relative to the direction of travel.
* optiona l equipment
..,. This section continues on th e next page.
® Registered trademarks are identified with
a®. If th is symbol is missing, it is no guar-
antee that the terms can be used free ly.
c::>& Cross-reference to a "WARNING!" with-
in a sect ion. For ind ication w ith a page num-
ber, the corresponding "WARNING!" can be
found outside of the section.
A WARNING
Text with th is symbol conta ins important
inf ormat ion on safety and how to reduce
the risk of personal injury or death .
([) Note
Text with th is symbol draws your attention
to potential sources of damage to your ve-
hicle .
@) For the sake of the environment
Text with th is symbo l conta ins information
about the environment and how you can
help protect it .
(D Tips
Text with th is symbo l conta ins special tips
and other informat ion about gett ing the
most out of your vehicle and its features.

7
•
•

8 Cockpit
Cockpit
General illustration
Fig. l Cockpit: left section
Fig. 2 Cockpit : right section

(!) Adj uste r control for outside m ir-
rors .. . . . . ... . .... . . . ... . .
@ Door handle
@ Power locking switch
© Switches for:
- Front lid release ......... . .
- Fuel filler flap release . . . . . .
® Air outle t s ............ . ... .
® Light switch ........... . ... .
0 Turn signal and high beam . . . .
@ Multifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag ....... . . . . .
- Audio, telephone and voice
control system operat ing but -
tons
- Shift buttons for manual oper-
at ion (R tronic) ....... . . . . .
63
4 1
4 2
172
74
55
58
121
87
® I nstrument cluste r . . . . . . . . . . 10
@ Switches for:
- Windsh ield wiper/washer . . . 59
- Trip computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
- Menu disp lay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
- Lap Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
- Speed wa rning syst em . . . . . . 28
@ Steer ing lock/ignition/starter
switch (in the steering wheel
column) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
@ Adju stable st eering column . . . 77
@ Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
@ Inst rument lighting . . . . . . . . . 56
@) Data Link Connector (DLC)for
On Board Diagnostics (OBD II) . 2 1
@) Power wi ndow switches . . . . . . 44
@ Navigation system
@ Glove compartment (lockable) . 70
@ Front passenger's airbag . . . . . 12 1
@ Rear window defogger switch . 76
@ Cli mate cont rols . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
@ Gear shift lever or selector lever
(R t roni c):
- Manua l transm ission
- R tronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
@ Switches for:
Cockpi t 9
-Aud i magnetic ride . . .... . . . 82
- Electron ic Stabiliza t ion Pro-
gram (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
- Eme rgency flasher . . . . . . . . . 57
- Retractable rear spoiler . . . . . 152
- Audi parking system . . . . . . . 89
@ Convertib le t op switch . . . . . . . 46
@ Rear window switch . . . . . . . . . 48
@ Parking brake lever . . . . . . . . . . 79
(D Tips
- Some of the equipment or features
shown in t he genera l ill ustration may be
standard equ ipment on your vehicle or
my be opt ional equipme nt depending on
your mode l.
- A separate brochure is provided for your
fac tory-i nstalled Audi Navigat ion Sys-
tem .

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster isyour central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overview of the inst rumen t cluster
(D Engine oil temperature . . . . .. .
@ Tachometer with time and date
display ................... .
® Warning/indicator lights . . . . .
© Coolant temperature gauge . . .
® Fue l gauge . . ............ . . .
@ Speedometer with odometer ..
(i) Voltmeter .............. . . .
@ Set/Check button , ... . . . . . . .
® Driver information display . . . .
@ IRESET ! button for trip odome-
ter . . ..... . ............ . . .
10
11, 11
14
11
12
12
13
11, 31
20
12
The illumination for the instrument cluster
lights up whenever you switch on the ignition
with the vehicle headlights off. The gauges
are also illuminated when the lights are
turned on.
Engine oil temperature display
The engine oil temperature display Q page 10,
fig. 3 only operates with the ignition on. To
prevent engine damage, please observe the
following important points concerning the
temperature ranges.
Cold range
If the needle is at the bottom of the gauge,
the engine oil has not reached operating tem-
perature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, full
throttle applications and heavy engine loads .
Normal range
The engine has reached operating tempera-
ture when the needle moves into the center of
the gauge under normal driving conditions .
The needle may move higher on the gauge
with heavier engine load at high outside tem-
peratures. This is not a cause for concern as
long as the . indicator light in the display
does not flash.
Warning light.
If the symbol . in the display flashes, ei-
ther the engine oil temperature is too high or
the engine oil level is too low Qpage 180 .
If the needle is well in the upper area of the
gauge, the engine oil temperature is too high .
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
allow it to cool. If the warning light comes on
again after driving a short distance, contact
an authorized Audi dealer.

In strument s a nd warning / indicator lights 11
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes) .
Youshould shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1500 RPM.The beg inning
of the red zone in the tachometer indicates
the maximum permiss ible engine speed for
all gears once the eng ine has been broken in
and when it is wa rm. You sho uld shift to the
next higher gea r, switc h t he R tron ic sport
mode off or remove your foot from t he accel -
erator pedal befo re reaching this a rea in the
ga uge.
(D Note
The needle in the tachometer ~ page 10,
fig. 3 @ may only be in the red area of the
gauge fo r a short time or the engine could
be damaged. The location whe re the red
zone beg ins varies depending on the en-
gine.
Digital clock with date display
Your vehicle is equipped with a quartz con-
trolled digital clock.
Fig. 4 Instru m ent cluste r with t he d igita l clock
Date and time are set using the knob ~ fig. 4.
To set the hour
• Pull the knob (hour d isplay flashes) and turn
it to the left or right.
To set the minutes
• Pull the knob as many times as necessary
unti l the min ute display flashes .
• Turn the knob to the left or right.
To set the date
• Pull the knob as many ti mes as necess ary
until the day, month or year disp lay flashes.
• Turn the knob to the left or right.
To hide or display the date
• Pull the knob as many t imes as necess a ry
until t he date disp lay flashes.
• Turn t he knob t o the left or rig ht .
Wh en th e date d isp lay st ops blin king, this
means t he ti me and da t e have been success -
fully st ored.
Wit h the ignit ion off, push ing or pu lling the
Set/Che ck button
~ pag e 10, fig. 3 @ can
tu rn o n the display field light ing for a few sec-
onds.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolan t ga uge ~ page 10, fig. 3 @
only works when t he ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol-
lowing important points.
Engine cold
As long as the need le remains at the left end
of the gauge, the engi ne still has not reac hed
its operating tem perature. Avoid high eng ine
speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throt-
tle.
Normal temperature
When t he engine has reached its operat ing
temperature, the need le will move into the
midd le of the gauge and rema in the re . If t he
engine is working hard at high outside tem-
peratures, the needle may turn further to the
right. This is no cause for concer n as long as
the . warn ing light in the instrument clus t er
does not illuminate .
Warning light.
When the warning light . starts to f lash, this
can mean one of two t hings : either the cool-
ant temperature is too h igh, or the coolant
level is too low ~ page 32 . IIJ,,

12 Instruments and warning /i ndicator lights
If the needle is well on the right side of the
gauge, the coolant temperature is too high .
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
allow it to cool. If the warning light comes on
again after driving a short distance, contact
an author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always observe the warni ng in
¢ page 175, Working in the engine
compartment before opening the engine
compartment lid and checking the en-
gine coolant level.
- Never open th e engine compartment lid
if you see or hear steam, or if you see en-
gine coolant dripping from the engine
compartment . You could burn yourse lf.
Let the engine cool off first so that you
cannot hear or see any steam or engine
coolant.
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the air inlets reducesthe cool-
ing effect of the radiator. At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat .
- The front spoiler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, th is could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over-
heat. Ask you r autho rized Aud i dealer for
assistan ce.
Fuel gauge
The f uel gauge works only when the ignition is
on. When the needle reaches the red area, the
warn ing light in the instrument cluster will il-
lum inate c>page 33 (ilThis means you
have approximately 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of
fuel left in the tank . Time to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed
in Technicaldata ¢ page 228.
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry! An ir-
regular supply of fuel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter into the ex-
haust system . The catalytic converter
could then overheat and be damaged.
· Speedometer with odometer
Thespeedome ter shows you the vehicle
speed, and the odometer shows you how
many miles (kilometers) you have driven .
Fig. S Speedometer close -up: odome ter display
The distance dr iven is shown in m iles (USA
models) or in kilometers (Canada mode ls).
Lower odometer
The lower odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) dr iven.
Upper odometer (trip odometer)
The upper odometer shows the total number
of miles (kilometers) dr iven since you last re-
set the odometer back to zero. You can use
th is odometer when you want to keep track of
how many miles (kilometers) you have driven
for a single trip or errand. The last dig it ind i-
cates 1/10 of a mile (100 meters) . You can set
the trip odometer back to zero by pressing the
IRESE T ! button ¢ fig . 5.
With the ign itio n off, pushing of the Set/
Checkbutton ¢ page 10, fig. 3 @ can turn on
the display fie ld lighting for a few seconds.
Malfunction message
If there is a malfunct ion somewhere in the in-
strument cluster, dEF wi ll appear in the trip .,.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 13
odometer and will stay on . Contact your au -
thorized Audi dealer to have the problem cor-
rected .
Immobilizer
When the ignit ion is switched on, the data on
the ign ition key are scanned automatically.
If an unauthorized key was used , SAFEis dis-
played cont inuously in the odometer display
f ield. The veh icle cannot be operated
~ page 38 .
Voltmeter display
The voltmeter shows the voltage in the vehi-
cle electrical system. If the reading drops be-
low 12 volts with the engine running, you
should have the power supply (battery and
generator) inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer .
Voltage can drop below 8 volts when you
start the engine.

14 In struments and warning /i ndicator light s
Warning/indicator lights
Overview
The warning/indicator lights indicate different functions or a possible malfunction.
Fig. 6 Instrument duste r with warning/indicator lights
(D Warning/ind icator lights in the tachometer
@ Turn signals c::>page 16
® Warning/indicator lights in the Driver In-
formation System c::>page 30
@ Warning/ind icator lights in the speedome-
ter
@Warning/indicator lights in the
tachometer
Audi magnet ic ride
<::>page15
Tire pressure too low
<::>page15, c::>page207
Electronic power control
<::>page15
Convertible top operation
r::!>page16
Electronic Stabilizat ion Pro-
gram (ESP)
c:>page16
USAmodels:
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(MIL)
¢page22
Canada models :
Malfunction Indicator Lamp
(MIL)
c:>page22
High beam
<::>page16
Rear spoiler
c:>page16
@ Warning/indicator lights in the
speedometer
I
•
Electronic Sta bilizat ion Pro-
gram (ESP)
<::>page16
USA models:
Cruise control activated
<::>page17
Canada models :
Cruise control activated
c::>page 17
USA models:
Safety systems
<::>page17
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In strument s and warnin g/ indi ca tor ligh ts 15
Canada models:
Safety systems
¢page 17
Generator
¢page 17
Safety belt
¢page 17
USA models:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢page 17
Canada model s:
Brake system, parking brake set
¢ page 17
USA models:
Ant i-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
Canada models:
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
defective
¢page 18
& WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other
important vehicle information may result
in serious personal injury or vehicle dam-
age.
- Whenever stall ed or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher ¢ page 57.
- The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down . Always exercise extreme cau-
t ion when wor king under the engine
compartment lid ¢ page 175, Working
in the engine compartment .
(D Tips
- When a yellow warn ing symbol appears,
one war ning tone sounds. Check the
f unct ion disp layed as soon as possible.
- When a red symbol appears, three warn-
ing tones sound in a row. The symbo l
cont inues to flash until the fault has
been corrected.
; Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The ind icator light Eilluminates when the ig-
nit ion is switched on as a func t ion check.
@ Tips
If the indicato r lamp illuminates wh ile you
are driving, the re is a malfunction in the
vehicle damping. The chassis should be in-
spected immed iate ly by an authori zed Au-
di dealer.
ill Tire pressure monitoring system
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h tire pressure monito ri ng system
Tirepressure that is too low must be correct-
ed as soon as possible.
The wa rning/indicator light RI]ill umi nates for
a few seconds after t he ignition is t ur ned on
a5 a function check. If the [D]warning light
comes on, pressure in at least one tire is too
low.
.,.Stop driving as soon as possible w ithout en-
danger ing yourself and other drivers on the
road.
.. Inspect all tires.
.. Correct the tire pressure ¢ page 195.
Additional inf ormat ion about the tire pres-
sure monitoring system can be found
¢ page 207 .
EPCElectronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The warni ng/indicator light (Electronic Power
Control) ~ ill uminates when you switch on
the ignition as a functio n check. Iii>

16 In st rum e nt s and w a rn ing /i ndic at o r light s
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, then there is a mal -
function in the engine electron ics. Have
the malfunction corrected as soon as pos-
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop .
"' Convertible top operation
The indicato r light turns on IJI
- When the convertible top opens or closes or
- If the convertible top did not open or close
completely.
The indicator light blinks if the convertible top
cannot open or close ¢ page 47.
n If; Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
If the indicator lamp Glblinks while driving,
the ESPor ASR(Anti-Slip Regulation) is active-
ly regulating.
If the indicator lamp Glilluminates, the sys-
tem has switched the ESP off. In this case , you
can switch the ignition off and then on to
switch the ESP on again . The system is func-
tioning comp letely when the indicator lamp
switches off.
If the indicator lamp I] illuminates , the ESP
was switc hed off with the lliJbutton.
ESP and ABS: fault ! See owner's manu al
If the indicator lamp Gl and the ABSindicator
lamp !I]illuminate and the driver message
appears, the ABSor electronic differential lock
is malfunctioning . This also interrupts the
ESP. The brakes st ill function with the ir nor-
mal power, but ABSis not active .
Driveto your authorized Audi R8 dealer imme-
diately to have the malfunction corrected.
For more information about the ESP
¢page 150.
~D High beam
The . war ning/ indicato r light illuminates
whe n the high beams are on or when you use
the headlight flasher.
For more information ¢ page 58 .
":::>'•Rear spoiler
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electrically retractable rear spoiler.
The warn ing/indicator light (11has the follow-
ing functions :
- It comes on for about 3 seconds as a func-
tion check when the ignition is switched on.
- It comes on if there is a malfunction in the
electrically retractab le rear spoi ler.
Additional information about the electrica lly
retractable rear spoiler ¢ page 152 .
& WARNING
=
Driving at higher speeds witho ut the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char-
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- If the rear spo iler warning/ind icator light
in the instrument cluster comes on, the
rear spo iler may not have dep loyed. Nev-
er drive at speeds higher than 87 mph
(140 km/h) if the spo iler is not deployed .
Have the spoiler inspected as soon as
possible by an authorized Audi dea le r or
qualified wor kshop.
¢ ¢Turn signals
Whenever you use the left II or the right R
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flasher, both indicator
lights f lash.
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor-
mal.
Addit ional information on the turn signals
¢ page 58.

In strument s and warnin g/ indi ca tor ligh ts 17
CRUISE/vJ'Cruise control
The warning/indicator light (ij;jl)~1~(USAmod-
e ls)/ . (Canasda models) illum inates when
the cruise cont rol is activated.
I I!.!rSafety systems
This warning/indicator light monitors the air-
bag and the pretensioner systems.
The warning light I (USAmodels);II (Cana-
da models) illuminates for a few seco nds eac h
time you switch on the ignition.
If the I (USAmodels)/ . (Canada models)
warn ing light does not go out, or if it illumi-
nates wh ile you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system. If the light does not illuminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a ma lfunction.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the airbag sys-
tem, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherw ise the airbag or the
belt pretensioner may not work proper ly in
an acc ident.
D Generator
This warning/indicator light detects a mal-
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when you switc h on t he ignit ion and must go
out after the engine has started.
If the . warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are driving, you should contact your
author ized Audi dealer. Since the veh icle bat-
tery is discharging, you should switch off any
unnecessary electrical consumers (for exam-
ple, the air conditioner).
Q) Note
If the . warn ing/ indicator light (mal-
function in the engine cooling system) in
the instrument cluste r shou ld illum inate
¢ page 32, stop the veh icle and t urn off
the engine. The coolant pump is not work-
ing - this can cause engine damage!
4 Safety belt warning light
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts.
The warning light . comes on fo r a few sec -
onds after the ignition is switched on as a re-
minder to fasten your safety be lt. Additional-
ly, an acoustic warning (gong) will a lso sound.
Addit ional informat ion on safety belts
¢ page 109 .
BRAKE/((D) Brake system
This warning/indicator light flashes when the
broke fluid level is too low or when there is a
malfunction in the ABS.
If t he wa rning/ind icator light flas hes 111111111;
• (with t he parking brake re leased), stop t he
vehicle and obtain qualified help ¢ &, .
If the ABSfails, the ABSwa rning/ indicator
ligh t r.m!J,11]illumina t es along with the
brake sys t em warning/ ind icator light - /
. ¢ &, .
(USAmode ls): If the war ning light - and
the warn ing light Lilillumin ate together, im-
med iate ly contact your a uthorized Aud i dea le r
or qualified workshop to have all brake pads
inspected ¢ page 33 .
When t he light comes on, an aud ible warning
signal is also g iven.
Parking brake set
The _ /. wa rning/ind icator light illumi-
nates when the parking brake is set ¢ &, . The
fo llow ing message appears in the d isplay:
Handbrake is applied. If you inadvertent ly
drive off with the parking brake applied, a
buzzer (warning tone) sounds.

18 In strument s and w a rn ing /i ndic at o r light s
&_ WARNING
-USA models: If both, t he - wa rning
light a nd them war n ing light com e
on at the same t ime, the rear whe e ls
cou ld lock up first under hard braking .
Lock-up of the rear whee l brakes can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci-
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immedi-
ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applicat ion.
-Canada models: If both, the brake warn-
ing light . and the ABSwarning light
ti] come on at the same time, the rear
wheels could lock up first under hard
braking. Lock-up of the rear wheel brakes
can cause loss of vehicle control and an
acc ident . Have you r vehicle repaired im-
med iately by your authorized Audi dealer
or a q ualified wor kshop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applicat ion
- If the brake warning/indicator ligh t does
not go out after a few seconds and the
par king brake released, or lights up while
you are d riving, the fluid level in the
brake fl uid reservoir is too low. If you be-
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im-
med iately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work-
shop and have the brake system inspect-
ed .
- Please be very carefu l and always keep in
mind that after seve ral brake applica-
t ions, you will need g reater pressure on
the brake pedal to stop you r vehicle.
Consequently, you must allow for in-
creased braking d istances. Trying to
brake as quickly as usual could lead to an
acc ident.
ABS/(@)Anti-Lock Brake System
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differ ential lock (EDL).
Them light will come on fo r a few seconds
when the igni t ion is sw itched on . The light
will go out after an automatic check sequence
is comp leted .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
- The warn ing/indica t or ligh t does no t illum i-
nate when you sw itch on the ign ition.
- The warning/ indicato r light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/ indicator light illum inates
while d riving.
The brake system will still respo nd even with-
out the assistance of the ABSsystem. See
your autho rized Audi dea le r as soon as possi-
ble to restore full braking performance . For
more inform ation regard ing the ABS
r::?vpage 150 .
The ABSwar ning light and the brake warning
light come on together. The ABS will not work
and you will no t ice a change in brak ing re-
sponse and perfo rmance .
Malfunction in the brake system
USA models: If both, the - warning light
and the m warn ing light come on
r::?vpage 32 whe n the par king brake is re-
leased , there may be a ma lfunct ion in t he
ABS, and there may a lso be a malf unct ion in
t he brake system itse lf r::?v&. .
Canada models: If bot h, t he brake warn ing
ligh t . and t he ABSwa rning light £1come
on r::?vpage 32 when the parking brake is re-
leased , there may be a malf unct ion in the
ABS, and there may also be a malfunction in
the brake system itse lf ¢ &..
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The two systems EDLand ABSwork together.
Them warning light will come on if there is
a malfunction in the EDLsystem r::?vpage 150.
See your au t hor ized Audi dealer as soon as
poss ible .
&_ WARNING
- If the m warning light does not go
out, or if it comes on wh ile driving, the
ABSsystem is not working properly. The