2009 AUDI S6 four wheel drive

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

___ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
[ i] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering wheel
turned all the way to the right or to the left for longer than
15 seconds . The power steering pump will overheat the hydraulic
fluid if you keep holding th e steering wheel turned all th e way. This
is likely to damage the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
is not running (for example, while being towed), you will still be able
to ste er th e vehicle . However,
considerably mor e effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func ­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydraulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment=>
page 302. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper func­
tioning of the power ste ering. •
Applies to vehicles : wit h A ll Wh eel Drive
Driving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels. This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the
road conditions at the time . See also=>
page 263, "Electronic differ­
ential lock (EDU".
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with All Wheel Drive has an
advantage, even with regular tires. In winter road conditions it may be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) for improved
driveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also => page 333, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally
also applies to vehicles with All Wheel Drive=>
page 334, "Snow
chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same
si ze. Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see
page =>
page 329, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle. It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and
uneven terrain as much as possible. Also refer to=>
page 273.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheels could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­ planing}. If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi­
tions -risk of crash. ,

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Tire pr essure
Inco rrect tire pressure causes prematu re wear and can cau se
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month
~ page 323 .
Driving style
Dr iv ing fa st around curves, heavy acceleration and hard brak ing
increase tire wear.
Rotating tire s for more even wear
For all four t ires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rea r tires are rotat ed acc ord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remembe r the f ollo wi ng :
• Tire rotat ion i nterva ls m ay d iffer from the vehic le serv ice inte r­
vals outl ined in your Maintenance and Warranty Book let.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, t he
more it wears at certain points; the refo re, we recommend that you
f ollow the tire manu facturer's sug ges ted t ire rotat ion i nte rvals.
• Vehicles with fro nt-w hee l dr ive e xper ience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all -wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Please rotate tires as sh ow n~
page 32 7, fig. 250 .
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
~ pag e 349 .
Wheel balancing
T he w hee ls o n new v ehic les are balanced. However, various s itua ­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unba l­
anc ed, resu lti ng in vib rati ons yo u ca n us ually feel thro ugh t he
steer ing whee l.
U nba la nce d w heels must b e re ba lance d to avoid e xcessive wea r on
steering, suspension and tires. A whee l must a lso be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect w hee l al ig nm ent ca n cau se e xcess ive ti re wea r, impa iring
t h e s afety of th e veh ic le. If t ires s how excessive w ear, have the
w hee l a lig nme nt checke d by a n autho rize d Aud i deale r or qualifie d
wo rkshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehic les with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
co nstruct ion an d tread ty pe. For deta ils see ~
page 268.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury !
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage , such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control . •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road­
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
( =>
page 321) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side 8 -pillar (=>
page 321,
fig. 248) lists the specifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the sidewall of al l tires=>
page 329, fig. 251. This informa­
tion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a t ire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 99 H XL
This contains the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the tire is a"Rein ­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S"l Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could a lso have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 317. Tire
manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly only on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DO T ... 2208 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2008.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds=>
& in "Winter tires" on page 333.
P up to 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km/hl
S upto110mph(180km/hl
T upto118mph(190km/hl
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)31
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)31
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
l
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)31
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter:::>
page 27will normal ly
prevent your vehic le from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac-
~
31 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), t ire
manufac turers sometimes use the letters "ZR."

Tires and wheels -________________ w-.
•
ture. For exam ple , t he numbers 2 208 mean that the tire was
pr od uce d in the 22nd w eek o f 20 08 . T he ot her num bers a re
marketing cod es that may or may not b e used by the tire manufac ­
tu rer. This inf or ma tion is use d to conta ct consum ers if a tir e defec t
requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
Ti res with the identification "AO" or "R O" hav e been specia lly
m atc h ed wi th you r A ud i. We re comm end u sing on ly these tire s
becaus e they meet the highest standards re garding safety and
dri ving c haracter istic s when used correctly . You r aut horized Audi
d ealer w ill glad ly prov ide you with mor e information .
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of p li e s indicates the numb er of layers of rubber -coat ed
fabric i n the tir e . In genera l, the grea te r the number of pl ies, th e
mo re we ig ht a t ire can suppo rt. T ire ma nufactu rers also must ind i­
cate the materia ls in the tire, which include steel, ny lon, polyester,
and oth ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This numb er ind icat es the maximum load in kil ograms and pou nds
th at ca n be ca rried by t he tire.
Tire qual ity grading for treadvvear , traction , and
temperature resistance
T read wear , traction and temperature grades::::;, page 332.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the t ir e u nder nor mal d riving co nd it ion s.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
& WARNING (continued )
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been spec ifically approved by the veh icle manufacturer .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with winter tires - only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly.
• Overloading tires cause heat build -up, sudden tire failure ,
includ ing a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
~
Vehicle care I t •

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
& WARNING (continued)
• Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accidents. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehicle can be equipped with run flat tires.
If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four wheels.
Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For technical reasons , it is not generally possible to use the
wheel rims from other vehicles. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehicle type .
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Replace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements. •
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width~
page 329,
fig. 251 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require ­
ments in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example , a ti re graded 150 wou Id wear one and one half (1 1 /2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
~ & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material of the tire to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure~& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law. .,_

Tires and wheels -_____________ .:.....::...=..____:__:_:_:_=-=----
•
& WARNING
The traction grade ass igned to this t ire i s based on straight -ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristic s.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla ­
tion , or ex ces sive loading , either separately or in combination , can
c ause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Wi nter tires c an im prove vehicle handli ng on snow and
ic e. At t emperatures below 4 5 °F (7 ° C) we re commend
cha ngi ng to winte r tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter o r "snow" tire s, those with ve ry deeply cut tread. These tires
s h ou ld on ly be used in pairs and be i nstalled on all four wheels .
M ake sure you purchase snow tires that are the same si ze and
co nstruction type as t he o the r tires on your veh icle .
I f your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive *, this will improve
t raction d uring win te r dr iving, eve n with the s ta n dard t ires .
However, we strongly recommend that you always equip a ll four
w hee ls on you r vehic le wi th cor rec tly fi tted w inter tire s or all-season
t ir es, when w inter road co nditions ar e expec ted . T his also improves
the vehicle 's br aking perfo rmance and reduces stopping distance s.
Summer tires p rov ide less gr ip on ice a nd sno w.
Winter tires (snow tires) must a lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
Ask you r author ized Aud i deale r o r qualified wo rksho p fo r pe rmitted
winter tire sizes . Use only rad ial wint er tires. Winter tires
lose their effec tiveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 0 .1 57 inch (4 mm).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on spare whee l
~ page 329.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly installed on your vehicle at the time
it was man ufact ured. Please see~
page 330, "Speed rating (lette r
code)" for a l ist ing o f th e speed rati ng lette r codes a nd the
maximum speed at which the tires can be driven.
The s peed rati ng letter code(~
page 320) is on th e sid e wa ll o f the
tire
~ page 329 .
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle' s maximum speed. Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an acc ident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serious
personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi ­
ately.
• Winter tires have max imum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed.
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated . ...
Vehicle care
I t •

Tires and wheels -
----------------------
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the tire pressure is too low or if there is a
sys tem malfunc tion.
en
~ 0 ..:, ;g
0 g 0 ..:, ;g
F ig . 25 2 Displa y:
underinflation warning
Fig . 253 Displ ay :
Sy stem malfunction
Using th e ABS sensors , th e t ire pr essur e monitoring system
c o m pares the tire tread ci rcu mference and vi bration character istics
of the individua l tires . If the pressure decreases in one or mor e tires,
th is is ind icated in the inst rumen t cl uster w ith a warning symbol,
and a message=> fig. 252. The driver message in the display goes
ou t af ter 5 sec onds. T he driver message can be dis pl ayed again by
pressing the [ CH ECK ] button. If only on e tire is affected, the display
will indicate its position . T
he tire pressure monitoring must be reset via MMI each time the
press ures are adjus ted (e .g . when swi tchi ng between par tial and
fu ll load pressu re) or after changing or replacing a tire on your
veh icle =>
page 338. You ca n find the recom mended tir e pres sures
for your vehicle on the label on the driver's door pillar=>
page 32 1.
Tire tread circumference and vibration characteristics can change
and cause a tire pressure war ning if:
• the tire pressu re in one or more t ires is too low,
• t he tire has st ructura l damage,
• the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotated or replaced but
t he TP MS was no t r eset =>
pag e 338 .
Warning symbols
• ~ Loss of pressur e in at le ast one tire=>&. Check the tire or tires
and replace or repair if necessary . T he indicator light in the
i nstrument cluster also illu mi nat es =>
page 16 . Che ck/cor rect th e
p ressures of al l four t ires and reset TPM S via MMI.
T (Ti re Pre ssure Mo nitorin g System)
Tire pressure! System
malfunction .
If appears after switch ing the ign it ion on or
w hi le drivi ng => fig . 253 an d the i ndica tor lig ht in th e in stru ment
c luster blinks for approximately one minute and the n stays on, there
i s a sy stem malfunction . See your authorized Au di d ealer as soon a s
possible .
& WARNING
• If the tire pressure indicator appears in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires is significantly under -inflated.
Reduce your speed immediately and avoid any hard steer ing or
braking maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and check the tires
and their pressures. Inflate the tire pressure to the proper pressure
as indicated on the vehicle's tire pressure label =>
page 321.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to tire failure . Under- inflation also is l ikely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stopping ability .
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data