Audi R8 Spyder 2012 User manual

/
/
2012 Audi RS Spyder
Owner 's Manual
Audi
Vo r spr u ng du r ch Techn ik (HD

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 quickly 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 that 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
12256 14272 1

2 Table of contents
Vehicle literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
About this Owner's Manual . ..
Controls and equipment . . . .. .
Cockpit ... . ............ . ... . . . .
General illus tr at ion .... . . . . . . . . .. .
Instruments and warning/
indicator lights ...... . . . . . . . . . .
Inst ruments . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
War ning/ indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . .
Driver information system . . .
I ntroduct ion . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
Service interval disp lay . . . . . . . . . . . .
On-Board Diagnostic system (OBD) .. .
Trip computer ............ . . . . . . . .
Menu display ....... ...... . . . . . . .
Lap t imer . . .......... . ....... . . .
4
5
6
6
6
8
8
11
21
21
22
22
23
25
27
Speed war ning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . .
Keys ........................ . . .
Power locking system ............ .
Front lid . . . . . . .......... . . . . . . . .
Ant i-t heft alarm system ... . . . . . . . .
Power win dows . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. .
Convertible top .............. .
Convert ible top . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
W ind deflecto r . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. .
Rear window . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
Convertible top emergency operation .
Clear vision . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
Lights . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .. .
Inter ior lights .............. . . . .. .
Sun visors ...................... .
W iper and washer system ... . ... . . .
Mirrors . . . . ................ . . . . .
Digit al compass . ... ... . . . . . . . . . . .
32
32
34
37
3 8
39
4 0
4 0
42
4 2
43
4 9
4 9
52
53
53
56
57
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
General recomme ndat ions . . . . . . . . .
Power seats . ............ . . . . . . . .
Head rest raint s .......... . . . . . .. .
Cup holder .............. . . . . . .. .
59
60
6 1
6 1
Asht ray . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . .
Cigarette lighter/socket . . .... . . . . . .
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
Warm and cold . . . . . . .... . . . . . .
Climate controls . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . .
Heated seats ................... .
On the road . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . .
Steering .. . . . . . . . . . .......... . . .
Ig nit ion lock/Ignition switch ....... .
Starting the engine ............ . . .
Stopping the eng ine ... . ......... .
Parking brake . . . . ............... .
Cruise contr ol . . . . . . . ... .... . . . . . .
Audi mag netic ride ............... .
Transm1ss1on . . . .. . . . ...... . . . .
Manua l tr ansm ission . ........ . . . . .
R t ronic ... . ... . . . ............ . . .
62
62
62
65
65
69
70
70
70
71
72
72
74
75
77
77
78
Parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Parking system advanced
Homelink ® ................... .
Universal remote cont rol ........ . . .
Safety first . . ....... . ......... .
82
88
88
91
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Proper occupant seati ng positions . . . 92
Driver and passenger side footwe ll . . . 95
Stow ing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Reporting Saf ety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Active rollover protection system 99
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Illustrat ing the principle of an
accident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
How are safety belts wo rn correct ly? . 104
Safety belt pret ensioners . . . . . . . . . . 107
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
I mportant t hings to know . . . . . . . . . . 109
Fron t airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System .. . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Knee airbags . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Side airbags . ............ . ... . . . .
Child Safety . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
120
124
127
130
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 130
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Instal li ng a child safety seat . . . . . . . . 138
Addit ional Information . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Vehicle operation ..... . . . . . . . .
Intelligent technology . . . . ... .
Not ice about data recorded by vehicle
cont rol modules . . . .. ... . . . . . . . . . .
Elect ronic Stability Cont rol (ESC) . . . .
Rear spoiler . ............ . . . . . . . .
Braking .. . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . .
Power steering . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . .
Driving with your quattro ® . . . . . . . . .
Energy management ...... . . . . . . . .
Dry sump lubr ication ...... . . . . . . . .
142
142
142
142
144
14 5
146
147
147
149
Driving and environment . . . . . 150
Break-in period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Driving through water on roads . . . . . 150
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sporty driving ......... . ..... . ... . 151
Operation and maintenance . . . . . . . . 15 1
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 153
General inf ormatio n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fuel s upply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Engine cooling system..... . . . . . . . . 175
Brake fluid . . . . . . . .... . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Table of contents 3
Battery . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
Windshie ld washer container
Tires and wheels . . . . .... . . . . . .
Tires . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
Tire pressure monitoring system
178
182
183
183
200
Do-it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 203
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Trunk escape handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Breakdown kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Tire repair . . . . . . . . .............. .
What should I be aware of when
h . t· 7 c anging a rre. . .. . ............. .
Jump-starting . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ... .
Emergency t owing wit h commercia l
tow tr uck . . ... . . . . . ............ .
Fu se s and bulbs . . . . .......... .
Electr ical fuses . . . . .............. .
Bul bs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . .
203
206
209
212
213
213
214
Technical da t a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
General information . . . . . . . . . . 215
Explanation of techn ical dat a . . . . . . . 215
Vehicle identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Dimens ions.. . . . ..... . ........... 216
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
R8 Spyder 4.2 quattro . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
R8Spyder5.2quattro ............. 217
Dimens ions . . . . . . . ... . ... ... .. . . . 218
Capacities (approx .) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 219
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Operating your vehicle outs ide the
U.S.A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Lite ratu re . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 19
Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . . . . 219
Additional accessories, modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Inde x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
•
•

4 Vehicle literature
I n addition to this Owner's Manual , your Audi
comes with a Warranty & Maintenance book-
let.
Moreover, depending on the mode l and the
equipment, there may be additiona l instruc-
tion booklets delivered with your vehicle (for
examp le, Operating Instr uctions for your
Sound System, Navigation System etc .) .
If you are missing one of these publications,
or if you believe that the information is not
comp lete, contact your authorized Audi dealer
for assistance .
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
explains how you can keep you r Audi in top
driving condition by having it serviced regu lar-
ly and contains detai led information about
the warranties covering your Audi. Always
have the booklet with you when you take your
vehicle to an author ized Audi dealer for serv-
ice. Your Audi Service Adviser w ill record each
scheduled service and can answer any ques-
tions you may have regarding how to maintain
your vehicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle literature is also availab le in
French. To obtain a copy, contact your dealer
or write to :
Au Canada, on peut se procurer un exemplaire
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,
Ajax, 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 to the next owner.
If you change your address or if you
bought this Audi used
be sure to send in a "Notice of Address
Change"/ "Notice of Used Car Purchase" post
card. This card can be found in the Warranty &
Maintenance booklet or obtained from your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is in your own interest that we are able to
contact you should the need arise .

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 model at the editoria l
deadline date. Some of the equipment descri-
bed here will only 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 beginning of the
section, e.g. "Applies to vehicles: with 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, which disp lays all topics de-
scribed in this manual in order of appearance.
You will f ind an alphabetical index at the end
of this book.
All directions , such as " left", " right", "front",
"back", are relative to the direct ion of travel.
* optional equipmen t
~ This section continues on the next page.
® Registered trademarks are identified with
a®. If this 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 section. For ind ication with a page num-
ber, the corresponding "WARNING!" can be
found outside of the section.
About this Owner 's Manual 5
A WARNING
Text with this symbol conta ins important
information on safety and how to reduce
the risk of personal injury or death.
@ Note
Text with th is symbo l draws your attention
to potentia l 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 contains special tips
and other informat ion about gett ing the
most out of your vehicle and its features.
•
•

6 Cockpi t
Cockpit
General illustration
Fig. l Cockpit: left section
Fig. 2 Cockpit : right section

(!) Adjuster control for outside mir-
rors .. . . . . ... .......... . . .
@ Door handle
@ Power locking switch
© Switches for:
- Front lid release .......... .
- Fuel filler flap release . . . . . .
® Air outlets ............ . ... .
® Light switch ............... .
(J) Turn signal and high beam ... .
@ Multifunction steering wheel
with:
- Horn
- Driver's airbag ........... .
- Audio, telephone and voice
control system operating but -
tons
- Shift buttons for manual oper-
at ion (R tronic) ........... .
® Instrument cluster
@ Switches for:
57
36
37
166
67
49
51
113
81
8
- Windshield wiper/washer 53
- Trip computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
- Menu display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
- Lap Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
- Speed warning system . . . . . . 29
@ Steering lock/ignition/starte r
switch (in the steering wheel
column) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
@ Adjustable steering column . . . 70
@ Cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
@ Instrument lighting . . . . . . . . . 52
@) Data Link Connector (DLC)for
On Board Diagnostics (OBD II) . 22
@) Power window switches . . . . . . 39
@ Navigation system
@ Glove compartment (lockable) . 63
@ Front passenger's airbag . . . . . 113
@ Rear window defogger switch . 69
@ Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
@ Gear shift lever or selector lever
(R tronic) :
- Manual transmission
- R tronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
@ Switches for:
-Audi magnetic ride ........ .
- Electronic Stability Control ..
- Emergency flasher ........ .
- Retractable rear spoiler .... .
- Parking system . ..... . .... .
Cockpit 7
75
142
so
144
82
@ Convertible top switch . . . . . . . 40
@ Rear window switch . . . . . . . . . 42
@ Parking brake lever . . . . . . . . . . 72
(D Tips
- Some of the equipment or features
shown in the general illustration may be
standard equipment on your vehicle or
my be optional equipment depending on
your model.
-A separate brochure is provided for your
factory-installed Audi Navigation Sys-
tem.

8 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 rument cluster
(D Engine oil temperature . . . . . . . 8
@ Tachometer with time and date
display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 9
® Warning/indicator lights . . . . . 11
© Coolant temperature gauge . . . 9
® Fue l gauge........... . ... . . 10
@ Speedometer with odometer . . 10
(i) Voltmeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
@ Set/Check button . . . . . . . . . . . 9
® Driver information display . . . . 2 1
@ IRESET ! button for trip odome-
ter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The illumination for the instrument cluster
lights up whenever you switch on the ignition
with the vehicle headl ights off. The gauges
are also illuminated when the lights are
turned on.
Engine oil temperature display
The engine oil temperature display Q page 8,
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 operat ing tem-
perature yet . Avoid high engine speeds, full
throttle applicat ions 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 outs ide 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 o il level is too low Q page 174 .
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 dea ler.