2010 AUDI S6 technical data

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Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an important part
of your vehicle's occupant restraint system and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in accident situations.
Fig . 168 Correctly
adjusted head
restraint viewed from
the side
The head restraints must be correctly adjusted to achieve the
best protection.
- Adjust the front head restraint so that the upper edge of
the restraint is level with the top of your head, but no
lower than eye level and so it is as close to the back of your
head as possible =>
page 179, fig. 168.
- The rear head restraints must be raised fully upward when
passengers ride in the rear seats.
Adjusting head restraints => page 81.
& WARNING
Driving without head restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious or fatal neck
injury dramatically. To help reduce the risk of injury:
• Always drive with the head restraints in place and properly
adjusted.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING (continued)
•
Every person in the vehicle must have a properly adjusted head
restraint.
• Always make sure each person in the vehicle properly adjusts
their head restraint. Each head restraint must be adjusted
according to occupants' size so that the upper edge is as even with
the top of the person's head, but no lower than eye level and so it
is as close to the back of to the head as possible.
• Never attempt to adjust head restraint while driving. If you
have driven off and must adjust the driver headrest for any reason,
first stop the vehicle safely before attempting to adjust the head
restraint.
• Children must always be properly restrained in a child restraint
that is appropriate for their age and size=>
page 217. •
Examples of improper seating positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce the risk of
injury if vehicle occupants are properly seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious injury or death.
Safety belts can only work when they are properly positioned
on the body . Improper seating positions reduce the effective­
ness of safety belts and will even increase the risk of injury
and death by moving the safety belt to critical areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase the risk of
serious injury and death when an airbag deploys and strikes
an occupant who is not in the proper seating position. A
driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occupants
and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect seating posi-
tion when the vehicle is being used=>& . _,,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed and that
are firmly secured so that they cannot slip out of position . You can
obtain suitable floor mats from your authorized Audi Dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached to these fasteners.
Properly securing the floor mats will prevent them from sliding into
positions that could interfere with the pedals or impair safe opera­
tion of your vehicle in other ways .
& WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a loss of vehicle
control and increase the risk of serious personal injury.
• Always make sure that floor mats are properly secured.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings in the
vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent them
from slipping and interfering with the pedals or the ability to
control the vehicle.
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All
luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 169 Safe load
positioning : heavy
cargo positioned as far
forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift suddenly,
changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose items can
also increase the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision.
- Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as far forward as possible
=> fig. 169.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=>
page 84.
-Make sure that the rear seat back is securely latched in
place .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with four tie­
downs to secure luggage and other items.
Use the tie-downs to secure yo ur cargo properly ~ page 181,
"Loading the luggage compartment".
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that even sma ller items that
are loose in the vehicle will become heavy missiles t hat can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess energy wh ich vary w ith
vehicle speed and the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For examp le, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed of 30 mph (48 km/h),
the forces acting on a 10-lb (4 .5 kg) object a re ab out 20 times the
normal weig ht of the item. This means that the weight of the item
wou ld s uddenly be abo ut 20 0 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the inju­
r ies that a 200 lbs. (90 kg) item flying freely throug h the passenger
compartment could cause in a collision like this .
& WARNING
Weak, damag ed or improper straps u sed to secure item s to tie ­
downs can fail dur ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
s eriou s personal injury.
• Always u se suitable mounting straps and prope rly se cure items
to the tie -downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat ba ckre st is fold ed down, always u se suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie -downs
in the luggage compartment to help prevent item s fr om flying
forward as dangerous missiles into the p assenger compartment.
• Never atta ch a child safety seat tether strap to a tie-down .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death , you should immedi ately inform the
National Highway Traffi c Safet y Admini stration
(NHTSA) in addition to notif ying Audi of
America, Inc.
If N HTSA rece ives similar complaint s, it may
open an in vestigation, and if it find s that a
safet y defe cts exist s in a group of vehicles, it
may order a recall and remedy campaign.
However, NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you, your dealer,
or Audi of America, Inc.
To contact NHTSA, you may call the Vehicle Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator NHTSA
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, D.C . 20590
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Safety belts
General notes
Always wear safety belts!
Wearing safety belts correctly saves lives!
This chapter explains why safety belts are necessary, how
they work and how to adjust and wear them correctly.
- Read all the information that follows and heed all of the
instructions and WARNINGS.
& WARNING
Not wearing safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Safety belts are the single most effective means available to
reduce the risk of serious injury and death in automobile acci­
dents. For your protection and that of your passengers, always
correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is moving.
• Pregnant women, injured, or physically impaired persons must
also use safety belts. Like all vehicle occupants, they are more
likely to be seriously injured if they do not wear safety belts. The
best way to protect a fetus is to protect the mother - throughout
the entire pregnancy. •
Number of seats
Your Audi has a total of five seating positions: two in the front and
three in the rear . Each seating position has a safety belt .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
Not wearing
safety belts or wearing them improperly increases
the risk of serious personal injury and death.
• Never strap more than one person, including small children,
into any belt. It is especially dangerous to place a safety belt over
a child sitting on your lap.
• Never let more people ride in the vehicle than there are safety
belts available.
• Be sure everyone riding in the vehicle is properly restrained
with a separate safety belt or child restraint. •
Safety belt warning light t
Your vehicle has a warning system for the driver and front
seat passenger ( on USA models only) to remind you about
the importance of buckling-up.
Before driving off, always:
Fig. 170 Safety belt
warning light in the
instrument cluster -
enlarged
- Fasten your safety belt and make sure you are wearing it
properly .
IJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Because the passengers of this vehicle are not using safety belts
=> page 186, fig. 171 , they wi ll keep moving at the same speed the
vehicle was mov ing just before the crash, until someth ing stops them
- here, the wall =>
page 186, fig. 172.
Th e same principles apply to people sitting in a veh icle that is
involved in a frontal collis ion. Even at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30
to SO km/h), the forces acting on the body can reach one ton (2,000
lbs. or 1,000 kg) or more. At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher .
People who do not use safety be lts are also not attached to their
vehicle. In a frontal collision they wi ll also keep moving forward at
the speed their vehicle was t ravelling just before the c rash . Of course,
the laws of physics don't just apply to frontal collisions, they deter­
mine what happens in all kinds of accidents and collisions.•
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop themselves
from flying forward and being injured or killed. Always
wear your safety belts!
Safety first
Fig. 173 A driver not
wearing a safety belt is
violently thrown
forward
Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Fig. 174 A rear
passenger not wearing
a safety belt will fly
forward and strike the
driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the tremendous forces of
impact by holding tight or bracing themselves. Without the benefit
of safety restraint systems, the unrestra ined occupa nt w ill sla m
violently into the steering wheel, instrument panel, winds hield, or
whateve r else is in the way=> fig. 173. This impact with the veh icle
interior has all the energy they had just before the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even when they deploy,
airbags prov ide only additional protection. Airbags are not supposed
to dep loy in all kinds of accidents. Alt hough your Audi is equipped
with airbags, all veh icle occupants, including the driver, must wear
safety belts correctly in order to minimize the risk of severe injury or
death in a crash .
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only once and that your
safety belts are always there to offer protection in those accide nts i n
which airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed. Unbelted occupants can also be thrown out of the vehicle
where even more severe or fatal injur ies can occur .
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear safety belts
correctly. Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not on ly
themse lves but a lso the driver and other passengers=> fig . 174. In a
frontal collision th ey w ill be thrown forward violently, where they can
hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& WARNING (continued)
• Never let any person ride with their feet on the instrument
panel or sticking out the window or on the seat.
• Never remove a safety belt while the vehicle is moving. Doing
so will increase your risk of being injured or killed.
• Never wear belts twisted.
• Never wear belts over rigid or breakable objects in or on your
clothing, such as eye glasses, pens, keys, etc., as these may cause
injury.
• Never allow safety belts to become damaged by being caught
in door or seat hardware.
• Do not wear the shoulder part of the belt under your arm or
otherwise out of position .
• Several layers of heavy clothing may interfere with correct
positioning of belts and reduce the overall effectiveness of the
system.
• Always keep belt buckles free of anything that may prevent the
buckle from latching securely.
• Never use comfort clips or devices that create slack in the
shoulder belt. However, special clips may be required for the
proper use of some child restraint systems.
• Torn or frayed safety belts can tear, and damaged belt hard­
ware can break in an accident. Inspect belts regularly. If webbing, bindings, buckles, or retractors are damaged, have belts replaced
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Safety belts that have been worn and loaded in an accident
must be replaced with the correct replacement safety belt by an
authorized Audi dealer. Replacement may be necessary even if
damage cannot be clearly seen. Anchorages that were loaded
must also be inspected.
• Never remove, modify, disassemble, or try to repair the safety
belts yourself.
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
& WARNING (continued)
• Always keep the belts clean. Dirty belts may not work properly
and can impair the function of the inertia reel=>
page 269,
"Safety belts". •
Safety belts
Fastening safety belts
Seat first -everybody buckle up!
Fig. 176 Belt buckle
and tongue on the
driver's seat
To provide maximum protection , safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint properly
=>
page 75 , "General recommendations" .
- Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before using
the belt =>& .
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis=>& . _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

& WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can cause serious personal
injury in an accident. • The shoulder belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned
over the middle of the occupant's shoulder and never across the
neck or throat.
• The safety belt must lie flat and snug on the occupant's upper
body => fig. 177. Pull on the belt to tighten if necessary.
• The lap belt portion of the safety belt must be positioned as
low as possible across pelvis and never over the abdomen. Make
sure the belt lies flat and snug =>fig. 177. Pull on the belt to
tighten if necessary.
• A loose-fitting safety belt can cause serious injuries by shifting
its position on your body from the strong bones to more vulner­
able, soft tissue and cause serious injury.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other important
information =>
page 188. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Pregnant women mus.t also be c:orrectly
restra ined
The best way to protect the fetus is to make sure that
expectant mothers always wear safety belts correctly -
throughout the pregnancy.
Fig. 178 Safety belt
position during preg ­
nancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts must always be
positioned correctly on the wearer's body=>
page 190.
- Adjust the front seat and head restraint correctly
=>
page 75, "General recommendations".
- Make sure the seat back of the rear seat bench is in an
upright position and securely latched in place before using
the belt .
- Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it evenly across the
chest and pelvis=> fig. 178 , =>
/1 .
- Insert the tongue into the correct buckle of your seat until
you hear it latch securely =>
page 189, fig. 176.
- Pull on the belt to make sure that it is securely latched in
the buckle.
IJ),
I .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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[I) Tips
• T he shoulder belt part shou ld route approximate ly over the
middle of your shoulder -under no circumstances should it route over
you r neck a nd throat area~
& in "Safety belt position" on page 190.
• With the front seats, the height adjustment of the seat can also
be used to adjust the position of the safety belts. •
Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause severe inju­
nes.
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause serious injury or
death. Safety belts can only work when they are correctly
positioned on the body . Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the
ris k of injury and death by moving the safety belt to critical
areas of the body. Improper seating positions also increase
the risk of serious injury and death when an airbag deploys
and str ikes an occupant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion. A driver is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu­
pants and especially for children. Therefore:
- Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect sitting posi­
tion in the vehicle while traveling
~ & .
& WARNING
Impr ope rly w orn safet y belts inc re a se the ris k of se rious pe rsonal
injury and de ath whenever a vehi cle i s be ing u sed .
• Alway s mak e sure th at all vehicle occupants are corre ctl y
r es trained an d stay in a correct seating po sition wh enever the
v eh icle is being used.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WA
RNING (continu ed)
• Alw ays re ad and heed all WARNINGS and o ther imp ort ant
information ~
page 188. •
Safety belt pretensioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear -end collisions above a particular
severity, safety belts are tensioned automatically.
Th e safety belts are equipped with safety belt p retensioners. The
system is activated by sensors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
great sever ity. This tightens th e be lt and ta kes up belt slack~
& in
"Service and disposal of safety belt pretens ioner". Taking up the slack
helps to reduce forward occ upan t movement during a coll is io n.
0 Note
Never let the bel t remain over a rear seat back that has been folded
forward.
[I) Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be act ivated once.
• In minor fronta l, side and rear -end collis ions, in a rollove r and in
acc idents involving very little impact force, the safety belt preten­
sioner are not activated .
• When the safety belt pretensioners are activated, a fine dust is
re leased. This is norma l and is not ca used by a fire in the vehicle.
• The relevant safety requirements must be observed when the
vehicle o r components of the system a re scrapped. A q ual ified deal­
ersh ip is familiar with these regulat ions and will be pleased to pass on
the information to you .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data