2009 AUDI S6 technical data

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T he airbag on th e passe nger s id e makes th e front seat a pot entially
d a ngerou s place for a child to ride. The fr ont sea t is n ot the safest
p lace for a chi ld in a forward -facin g child safety seat . It is a v ery
da ngero us place f or an infa nt or a la rge r child i n a rearwa rd -facing
seat.
& WARNING
Not using a child safety seat , using the wrong child safety seat or
improperly installing a child restraint increases the risk of serious
personal injury and death in a collision or other emergency situa­
tion .
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag inflates . A child in a rearward -facing child safety seat installed on
the front passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed
if the front airbag inflates -even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center arm rest , or door .
• Always install rear -facing child safety seats on the rear seat .
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear -facing child safety seat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used
=> page 205 , "Safety belts ",
=> page 215, "Airbag system" and => page 238 , "Important things
to know ".
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the use of a forward -facing
child restraint on the front passenger's seat , the child's safety and
well -being require that the following special precautions be taken :
• Make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and certi ­
fied by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a passenger
front and side airbag.
• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions prov ided with
the child safety seat or carrier .
• Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost posi­
tion of the passenger seat's fore and aft adjustment range, and as
far away from the airbag as poss ible before installing the child
restraint.
• Always make sure that nothing prevents the front passenger's
seat from being moved to the rearmost position in its fore and aft
adjustment range .
• Always make sure the backrest is in an upright position.
• Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on.
• If the light does not stay on, perform the checks
=> page 226 ,
"Monitoring the Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING (continued )
• If the backrest is not securely latched, the child and the child
restraint will be thrown forward together with the backrest and
will strike parts of the vehicle interior . The child can be seriously
injured or killed .
• Never install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the front passenger seat. A child will be seriously injured and can be killed when the passenger airbag inflates .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest , center arm rest , door or roof.
• Always install rear-facing child safety seats or infant carriers on
the rear seat.
• Forward-facing child safety seats or infant carriers installed on
the front passenger's seat may interfere with the deployment of
the airbag and cause serious injury to the child .
• It is safer to install a forward -fac ing child safety seat on the rear
seat.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS whenever using a child
restrained in a vehicle is being used =>
page 238. Special precau­
tions apply when installing a child safety seat on the front
passenger seat=>
page 217 , "Child restraints on the front seat -
some important things to know ".
& WARNING
Always take special precautions if you must install a forward or
rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger's seat in
exceptional situations:
• Whenever a forward or rearward -facing child restraint is
installed on the front passenger seat, the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light must come on and stay on whenever the ignition is
switched on .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first
Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued )
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay
on, perform the checks described =>
page 226, ''Monitoring the
Advanced Airbag System ".
• Take the child restraint off the front passenger seat and install
it properly at one of the rear seat positions if the PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF light does not stay on whenever the ignition is switched
on .
• Improper installation of child restraints can reduce their effec­
tiveness or even prevent them from providing any protection.
• An improperly installed child restraint can interfere with the
airbag as it deploys and seriously injure or even kill the child.
• Always carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
provided with the child safety seat or carrier.
• Never place additional items on the seat that can increase the
total weight registered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
& WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
• Always make sure the forward -facing seat has been designed
and certified by its manufacturer for use on a front seat with a
passenger front and side airbag.
• Never put the forward-facing child restraint up, against or very
near the instrument panel .
• Always move the passenger seat into its rearmost position in
the seat's fore and aft adjustment range , as far away from the
airbag as possible before installing the forward-facing child
restraint . The backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
• Make sure that the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF light comes on
and stays on all the time whenever the ignition is switched on . .,,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Child Safety ---------------------=------
& WARNIN G (continu ed )
• Alway s buckle the child safety s eat firmly in place even if a
child i s not sitting in it . A loose child safet y sea t ca n fly a round
during a sudden stop or in a cra sh .
• Alway s make sure the se at ba ckr es t to which the child re str ai nt
i s in stalled i s in an upright po sition and se curely latched into place
a nd cannot fold forw ard . Otherwi se, the seat back with the child
s a fety seat atta ched to it could fly forw ard in the event of an a cci­
d ent o r other emergency situat ion .
• Alwa ys read and heed all WARNINGS wh enever u sing a child
re str ained in a vehicle is being u sed
=> page 238. Spe cial precau ­
tio ns appl y when install ing a child safety se at o n th e front
p ass enger seat =>
page 217 , "Ch ild re str ai nt s on t he front sea t -
s ome important t hings to know ".•
Deactivating the convertible locking retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child restraints will
be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all
the way back into the retractor.
- Press the red button on the safety belt buck le . Th e belt
tongue will pop out of the buckle.
- Guide t he belt a ll the way back into its stowed position .
Always let the safety belt retract complete ly into its stowed posit ion .
The safety belt can now be used as an ordinary safety be lt without
the conve rtible locking retractor for child restra ints.
I f the convertible locking retractor should be activated inadvert­
ently, the safety belt must be unfastened and guided comp lete ly
back into its stowed position to deactivate th is feature . If the
convertible locking retractor is not deactivated, the safety be lt will
gradually become tighte r and unc omf ortab le to wear .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Impr
operly in stalled chi ld safety seat s in crea se th e ris k o f ser iou s
per sonal injury and death in a collision.
• Never unfaste n th e safety belt to dea ctivate the con vertib le
lockin g retractor for child re straint s while the veh icle i s moving .
You wou ld not be r estra ined a nd co uld be seriou sly inj ured in an
accident.
• Always re ad and heed all WARNING S whenever using a child
re str ained in a vehicle is be ing u sed
=> page 2 38. Spe cial pre cau ­
tion s appl y when in stalling a chi ld safet y seat on the front
pas senger seat
=> page 217 , "Child re straint s on the front seat -
so me important thing s to know ".•
Additional Information
What types of child restraint anchors are
available and how are they related to child
safety?
For years, child restraints have been installed using the safety belts
a lready present in every vehicle.
Since September 1, 1999, child restraint manufacturers have been
providing tether straps that attach the top of the chi ld restraint to
the vehic les structure, on most of their forward -facing systems in
order to comply with U.S. Federal regulations for child restraint
performance in a crash. Vehic le manufacturers are required to
phase -in tether anchorages for attachment of the tether strap in
t heir U.S. vehic les beginn ing September 1, 1999 .
The combination of the tether anchorages and the lower anchor ­
ages is now generally called the
LATCH system for " Lowe r Anchor
and Tether for Chi ldren ". ..,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Lower anchorages and tether for
children (LATCH)
Location
LATCH is the acronym for Lower Anchor and Tethers for
Children and designates a special child safety seat
restraint system. In Canada, the terms "top tether" with
"lower universal anchorages" (or "lower universal
anchorage bars") are used to describe the system.
Fig . 222 Schematic
overview: LATCH
anchorage point loca­
tions
The illustration =:> fig. 222 shows the seating locations in your
vehicle which are equipped with the lower universal anchorages
system. •
Safety first
Child Safety
Description
The lower anchorage positions are marked for quick
locating.
Fig . 223 Rear seat ­
backs: locator buttons
for lower anchorages
Fig . 224 Rear seats:
lower anchorage
bracket locations
Attachment locator markers for lower anchorages
Circular locator buttons on the rear seatback indicate the lower
anchorage locations on the rear seating positions=:> fig. 223 .
Lower anchorages
The lower anchorage attachment points are located between the
rear seatback and rear seat cushion=:> fig. 224.
Lower anchorages secure the child restraint in the seat without
using the vehicle's safety belts. Anchorages provide a secure and
~
Vehicle care I I Technical data

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Inst alling th e guidan ce fixtur es
- Push down on the seat cushion so t hat the lower anchor ­
ages are v isib le.
- Hold t he guidance fixt ure with the part number facing
downward and push it in the direction of the arrow on to
the anchorage => page
254, fig. 226.
- Make sure that each of the two guidance fixtures per seat
snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
- Remove the child restrai nt according the c hild restraint
m an ufacturer's instr uctions.
- Pu sh down on the seat cushion so t hat the lower anchor ­
ages are v isible.
- Pu ll off the gu idance fixtures from the lowe r anc horages.
- Always remove the guidance fixt ure s an d keep them in a
safe p lace when not in use.
You may find it easier to insta ll chi ld restraints equipped with hooks
attached to straps without the guidance fixtures in place. If this is
the case, remove the guidance fixtures by pu lling them off the
anchorages . However, the guidance fix tures can he lp you to locate
the
LATCH anchorages.
& WARNING
Improper use of teth er anchorage s or lowe r anchorages can caus e
s erio us personal inju ry
in a cra sh .
• Alway s carefully follow the child re straint manufa cturer' s
in struct ions for proper inst allati on a nd u se of ch ild re straint
sy stems .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& W
AR N IN G ( continued )
• Never use the LATCH or tether an chorage s to att ach safety
b elt s or other kinds of o ccup ant re str aints .
• Child restraint tether attachment s and lower atta chments are
onl y designed to secure a child re str aint th at h as been equipped
to u se these anchorages.
• Tether anchor age s a nd lower an chorages are de signed to with ­
s tand only those loads impos ed by correctly fitted child r estraints.
Unde r no circum stan ces can they be u sed safel y for adult or child
safety belt s or harne sses .
• Neve r mount more than one ch ild rest raint to a single tether or
to a lower anchorage point . Atta ching two child r estraints to a
s ingle an chorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause
s erio us per sonal injury in a crash .
0 Note
• Remove the guidance fixtures before folding the rear seatback to
prevent damaging the seat cushion.
• I f you leave the guidance fixtures insta lled for several days, they
cou ld leave a mark on the upholstery on the seat cushion and back ­
rest in the area that the guidance fi xtures were insta lled . The uphol ­
stery would also be permanently stretched around the guidance
fixtures. This applies especially to leather seats.
[ i ] Tip s
• Always remove the guidance fixtures when not in use.
• Please keep the guidance fixtures in a safe place with the vehicle
when not in use .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
t he aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continua lly
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehic le starts hydrop laning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the prob lem.
The vehicle is then stab ilized by the forces acting on the whee l
during braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out
of the turn), the brakes are mainly app lied on the wheel that is on
the outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to sl ide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the
rear wheel that is on the inside of the curve . An acoustic signal indi­
cates when ESP brake application cuts in
~ & .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system
~ page 266 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Ac tivat ing
When you turn on the eng ine, ESP will automatically be activated
and will perform a se lf -test . As soon as the test is comp leted, the
system is in norma l operating mode.
You can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ASR if required by pressing the~
page 262, fig. 232 button . When they are
activated, the message
E S P/AS R on appears briefly in the display.
D eactiv ating
The ESP should normally be activated al l the time . If necessary, you
can deactivate An ti- Slip Regulation (ASR) or the E lectronic Stabiliza ­
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button~
page 262, fig. 232 .
• Dea ct iv at ing A SR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional situa ­
tions (e.g. driving with t ire chains) , the Anti-Sl ip Regulation (ASR)
can be deactivated ~
page 264. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Dea ctiv at ing E SP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds.
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
In
te llig ent tec hn olo gy
~ page 18 . The message ES P sw itched off appears in the disp lay as
we ll.
& WARNING
The Electroni c Stabili zation Program i s never thele ss subject to the
la ws o f physics . It is p articularl y import ant t o pay a ttent ion t o th is
f a ct on wet and slippery road s. It is ther efore important tha t y ou
a lw ays a dapt your dr iving to the c ondit ion of th e ro ad and t raffi c
c ondition s. Do n ot allow the inc rea sed safety pro vided b y th e Elec ­
tr on ic S ta bili zatio n Pr ogram sys tem to lull you in to acc epting
add iti onal safet y risk s. C
Electronic differential tock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
Gener al note s
The electronic differential lock (EDU helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and c limb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or
almost no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impos ­
sib le .
How th e sys te m wo rk s
The EDL operates automatical ly . It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the he lp of the ABS sensors
~ page 266 . If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power
to the other drive wheel or whee ls (a ll -whee l drive) . Th is is done up
to a speed of about 60 mph ( 100 km/h). Noises from the brake
system signal that wheel spin is being control led .
Dr iving off
When driving off , always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you accelerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface
Iii>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

When the abnormal situation is over, you should activate the ASR
again.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four wheels must be fitted
with identical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
See also~
page 329, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending largely on operating conditions and driving habits~& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traffic
or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your autho ­
rized Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Main­
tenance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can
result in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the braking effect of the engine .
This way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously.
Pump the brakes at intervals.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Moisture or road salt
If
you are driving faster than 50 mph (80 km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake discs in regular intervals so as to improve reaction time when braking on
wet surfaces. You, the driver, will not notice anything.
Under certain conditions, for example, when driving through water
or very heavy rain, or even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in freezing conditions ice)
on the brake pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean off accumulated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake ~& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up on the brake pads and
corrosion to form on the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has formed on
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high speed~&.
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake pedal travel, then
one of the two brake circuits may have failed~& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low . The brake fluid level is monitored electronically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual inspection of the condi ­
tion of the brake pads through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection
~ page 344,
"Changing a wheel". ._.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

This automatic adjustment process will cause a slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed
must be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions .
& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed according to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
[ i ] Tips
• If ABS is not functioning properly, a warning light will come on .
See ~
page 21.
• If a fau lt occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This
is indicated by the ABS warning light.
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the optimum
braking effect.
The brake assistant helps to increase the effective braking power
and thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance . If the driver
presses the brake pedal very quick ly, the brake assistant automati­
cally boosts the braking force to the maximum level, up to the point
where the anti-lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the
wheels from locking . You should then keep the brake pedal pressed
until the vehicle has braked to the required speed. The brake assis­
tant switches itself off as soon as you release the brake pedal.
T he brake assistant wil l not be operative if there is a malfunction in
the ABS .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
& WARNING
Please remember that the
accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast , especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant ,
so always maintain a safe speed. •
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortab le and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed.
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result, the
steering wheel will be hard to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled
maintenance services .
0 Note
If there is an electronic ma lfunction, servotronic wi ll still function
like a conventional power steering system, providing a constant
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed . This is most noticeable when turning the steering whee l at
low speeds (for examp le when parking), -more effort will be
required than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and
adjust your steering force accordingly.
• Have the problem checked and set right by an Aud i dealer as
soon as possible. ._
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data