2010 AUDI S6 towing

Table of contents
Table of contents
Vehicle literature ..... .
About this Owner's Manual .......... ....... .. .
Controls and
equipment .............. .
Instruments and controls ... .
General illustration ........... .
Instruments and
warning/indicator Lights ..... . Instruments ... ... .......... .
Warning/indicator ligh ts ..... . .
Driver information display ... .
Introduction ...... ......... . .
On-Board Diagno stic sy ste m
(OBD) . ..... ....... .......... .
Auto Ch eck Control ........... .
Speed warning system ........ .
Tr ip computer ............ ... .
Opening and closing ......... . Keys ............ ............ .
Power locking system ........ .
Rear lid .... ..... ............ .
Child safety Lock ............. .
Convenience key ............. .
Anti-theft alarm sys tem ...... .
Power windows .............. .
Sliding/tilting power sunroof .. .
Clear vision .. .... ............ .
L ights ... .. ........ ......... .
Interior ligh ts ... ... .. ....... .
4
5
6
7
7
8
8
12
19
19
23
24
32
34
37
3 7
41
46
47
47
49
so
53
58
58
63 Vi
sion .................... .. .
Wiper and washer system Mirrors ... ............... ... .
Digital compass ............. .
Seats and storage ........ ... .
General recommendations .... .
Power seat . ................. .
S eat m emory ............... . .
Rear sea ts ... ... .. .......... .
Head res train ts ........... ... .
Armrest .. .. ................ .
Luggage compar tm en t ..... .. .
Roof ra ck . .... .... .......... .
Cupholder .................. .
Ashtray .. ................... .
Cigarette Lighter/socket ...... .
S torag e ................ .. .. .
Warm and cold .... .......... .
Cl imate control ....... ... .... .
Ba sic se tt ings ............... .
On the road ... .... .......... .
S tee ring .................... .
Igni tion lock and ignition swi tch
Start ing and stopp ing the engine
Start ing and stopping the engine
with Convenience key ......... .
E lectromechanical parking brake
Cru ise control ............... .
Adaptive Cruise Control ..... . Speed and distance con trol
sys tem .............. ....... .
Dr iver information ........... .
Syst em Limitations ........... .
Audi Lane assist ........... .. .
Lane ass ist .... .. ............ . 64
66
69
73
75
75
76
79
80
81
82
83
87
89
91
92
93
96
96
104
106
106
108
109
110
113
116
119
119
12 7
131
134
134 Audi side assist ...............
137
Lane Change Assistant ......... 137
No tes ....... .... ............. 144
Automatic transmission 146
tiptronic ® (6-sp eed au toma tic
tr ansmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
multitronic ® ............ ...... 152
Park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Park ing system (rear, with rear
view camera) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Adaptive Air Suspension .. ... . 166
Adaptive Air Su spens ion and
Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Homelink ® ............. ... ... 169
Univ ersal r emot e control 169
Safety first ............ ... 174
Driving Safely .. ............... 174
G eneral n otes ......... ........ 174
Proper occupant seating
po sition s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
S towing Luggage .............. 181
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . 183
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
General no tes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Why safety belts? ............ . 186
Safe ty b elts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Safety bel t pre ten sioner s . . . . . . . 193
Airbag system ................ 195
Im portan t thing s to kn ow ...... 195
F ront airbags .............. ... 199

Table of contents
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag Vehicle care .............. 258 Emergency towing with
System ...................... 206 commercial tow truck ........ .
Side airbags ... ......... ...... 211
Cleaning and protection ...... 258 Lift
ing vehicle ............... . 334
336
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Child Safety .. .. .......... ..... 217
Important things to know . . . . . . 217
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Installing a child safety seat .. .. 227
LATCH Lower anchorages and
tethers for children . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Additional Information 237
Vehicle operation ...... 240
Intelligent technology ........ 240
Notice abou t data recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . 240
E lectronic Stabilization Program
(ESP) ........................ 240
Braking ...................... 243
Servo tronic® -advanced power
steering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Driving with your quattro® . . . . . . 246
Energy management ........... 247
Driving and environment ...... 249
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Avoid damaging the veh icle . . . . . 250
Driving through water on roads . 250
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution ......... 251
Trailer towing ................. 254
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 254
T railer towing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
General informa
tion . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ..........................
271
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Technical data
General information
Explanation of technical data .. .
Vehicle ident ification ......... .
Weights ................... . .
Dimensions ............... .. . 338
338
338
338
339
339
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 300 hp, 3.0 liter, 6-cylinder
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . 284
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Ba ttery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Windshield/headlight washer container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293 engine ......................
.
265 hp, 3.2 liter , 6-cylinder
engine ......... ..... ........ .
350 hp, a-cylinder engine ..... .
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .......... . 341
342
343
344
344
T ires ........................ 293 Operating your vehicle outside the
T ire pressure monitoring system 312
Do-it-yourself service . 316
What do I do now? ........... 316
Trunk escape handle ........... 316
Jack, tools and spare wheel ..... 316
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
F u ses ........... ............. 325 U.S.A
. or Canada ............. .
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Literature ................... .
Maintenance ................ .
Additional accessories, modifications and parts replacement ............... . .
Declaration of Compliance,
T elecommunications and
Electronic Systems .......... . .
Bulbs ........................ 329
Alphabetical index ....
Emergency situations ......... 331
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Starting by pushing or towing 331
Starting with jumper cables .... 331
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . 332
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service
344
344
344
346
347
350
Technical data

Clear vision
-Press the switch /4. => page 61, fig. SO to turn the emer-
gency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four turn signals blink at the
same time. The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency flasher switch~ blink
likewise.
The emergency flashers will turn on automatically if you are in an accident where the airbag has deployed.
(I) Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers when:
• you are the last vehicle standing in a traffic jam so that any other
vehicles coming can see you, or when
• your vehicle has broken down or you are in an emergency situa­
tion, or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•
Turn signal ¢ c> and high beam ~D lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher .
i
'
-to
"' -w
"' cc
Fig. 51 Turn signal
and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions:
Turn signals ¢ Q
- Lift the lever up all the way=> fig. S 1 © to use the right
turn signals, or push the lever down all the way@to use
the left turn signals.
Auto-blink
-Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
to use the turn signals for as long as you need them, for
example when changing lanes.
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
and then release it right away to make the turn signals
blink
three times . You can use this feature for example
when changing lanes on highways.
~

Luggage compartment
Increasing Luggage compartment space
You can create additional space for loading luggage by
folding do wn either or both of the rear seatback
segments to form a deck .
Folding backrest down
Fig. 72 Rear backr es t:
rele ase lever
Fig. 73 Rea r ba ckr est:
l o cki ng t he b ackre st
- Push forwa rd release lever ©~ fig. 72 i n direction of
arrow.
- Fold the backrest down .
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
Returning backrest to upright position
- Push rear seat backrest up unti l it engages~ &. You will
know that the seat is properly engaged when you canno t
se e t he red marking on the lever @.
Locking the backrest
- Insert your key into t he lock ~ fig . 73 and turn it clock­
w ise.
Unlocking the backrest
- Ins ert the key in to the lock and turn it count er-clockwise .
Stowing luggage
-For safe loading and securing of items read an d follow the
guidelines on~
page 181.
The rear seatback is divided into two segments -one third/two thirds.
You can fold down ei ther or bo th parts of t he sea tback.
T he release levers for the fo lding backrests can be loc ked when the
back rests are properly engaged in their upr ight position. This
prevents unauthor ized access to the luggage compartment from
withi n the vehicle. The release levers can only be locked with the
master key o r emergency key.
& WARNING
• The backr est must always be s ecurely latched so that the sa fety
belt of the center seating position can work properly to help
prote ct the occupant .
• The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no
items contained in the luggage compartm ent can s lide forward
upon sudden b raking.
• Never allow safety belts to become damag ed by being caught
in d oor or seat hardware. _,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

- Pull out and unfold the ski sack.
- Load skis or similar objects through the luggage compart-
ment into the interior of the vehicle~&.
Securing ski sack
- Insert the ski sack strap@~ page 86, fig. 80 in the
center buckle
® ·
- Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of the belt @.
Stowing ski sack
- Pull the ski sack through the rear backrest to the rear.
- In the passenger compartment, close the ski sack flap.
- Fold the ski sack carefully.
& WARNING
• The ski sack is intended only for the transportation of skis and
other light objects. To reduce the risk of serious personal injury
never transport heavy or pointed objects in the ski sack.
• When braking rapidly or during an accident the load could be
displaced and cause injury to occupants.
• Sharp edges on the load must be covered for protection.
Always fasten the belt tightly around the sack and its contents
=> page 86, fig. 80.
[ i] Tips
Never stow the ski sack away if it's wet or damp (for example, snow
melting from skis). Let it dry completely before you stow it away. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
Roof rack
First things first
A roof
rack can be fitted to carry additional luggage on
the roof
-Always read and follow the instructions provided by the
roof rack manufacturer when the roof rack system must
be installed.
If you are transporting luggage or other objects on the roof, please
note the following:
• Your vehicle has specially designed aerodynamic roof rails. Only
install a roof rack specifically designed for your model. Contact the
nearest Audi dealer for information on approved modular roof racks
for your vehicle .
• These approved roof racks are the basis for a complete roof rack
system. Additional attachments for the basic roof rack are necessary
to safely transport luggage, bicycles, surf boards, skis or small boats.
All necessary hardware for these systems is available at your autho­
ri zed Audi dealer .
• We recommend that you keep the installation instructions for
your roof rack system together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
When should the roof rack be removed?
• Before going through an automatic car wash (it is best to ask the
car wash operator for advice).
• When not in use, to reduce fuel consumption, wind noise and to
guard against theft. _,,,
Vehicle care Technical data

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The ignition m ust be sw itche d on to set the driv ing modes .
- Select: Function button
I C A R].
Please note that not every driving mode can be se lected in every
dr iving sit uation . For example, it is not poss ible to switc h to "lift"
mode at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) . Th is mode is the n shown
greyed out in the MMI display.
For ad ditio nal info rmation on the driving modes=>
page 167,
"Chass is controls". •
App lies to veh icles: w ith Adaptive Air S uspensio n
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
This mod e must be activated in the MMI befor e raising
the vehicle with a jack or on a vehicle lift.
- Select: Functio n button [CAR)> function butto n [S ET UP]
> Jacking mode.
The vehicle jac k mode m ust be activated befo re c hanging a whee l so
t hat the automatic contro l processes for the a ir suspens io n do not
make li fting w ith the vehicle jack more difficult.
[ i J Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off automat ica lly at speeds above 9
m ph (15 km/h) .•
Ap plies to veh icles : w it h Ad aptive Air Suspens ion
Towing a trailer
A uto ma tic lo wering i s not desira ble when towi ng a
trailer.
- Select: Fu nct ion button [CAR)> function butto n [SETUP ]
> Towing mode .
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
• Before h itching up the trailer and befo re adjust ing the tongue
we igh t at the trailer, the automatic o r comfort mode
must be
selected, so that the vehicle is at normal leve l=>
page 167, "Sett ing
t he drivi ng modes ".
• If dr iv ing in dynamic mode is desired, th is mode
mu st be selected
befo re hitc hing u p the t rai ler a nd before adjusting t he tongu e
we ight . However, note that yo ur vehicle is lowe red and ground clea r­
ance is reduced .
• If you have to drive under diff ic ul t road condi tions, yo u can select
lift mode after hitching up the trailer or after ad justing the to ng ue
we ight .
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When ope ra ting w ith a trailer, the lift mode can only be selected up
to about 25 mph (40 km/h). The system a utomat ica lly goes out of lift
mode when s peed exceeds about 3 1 mph (S O km/ h).
If t he veh icle is i n automatic, co mfort o r lift m ode before the t railer
towing mode is act ivated, the dynam ic mode cannot be activated .
If the vehicle is in dynam ic mo de before towing operat ion is acti ­
vated, it can be driven in this mode . If the suspens ion is switched
from t his mode to a utomatic mo de, dy namic mode can not be re ­
selected .
[I] Tips
If the trailer towing mode has bee n act ivate d, the ve hicle will not si nk
to the dynamic level if se lected. •

________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
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

Intelligent technology!_ _______________________________________ _
Low brake fluid l evel
Ma lf u nctions can occ ur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low . T he brake flu id level is monitored e lec tron ically .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visua l inspection of the condi­
t ion of t he brake pads through the open ings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r thi s inspection~
page 318,
"Changing a whee l".
& WARNING
• You should p erform braking maneuvers for the purpo se of
cleaning the brake system only if road condit ions permit. Other
road u sers must not be put at risk - you may cau se an accident!
• Befo re descending a steep grade, reduce speed and sh ift t rans ­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. Th is could
cause the brake s to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the b rakes " by resting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. Thi s may cau se the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increased stopping distance.
• Under certain climatic and operating condition s such as
passing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced. In winter ,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings, discs and drums.
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brake s will dry and ice coating s
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt-covered roads
without using your brakes can also affect brak ing efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt co ating from brake disc s and pads with a few
careful brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you in stall a different
spoiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obst ructed.
Otherwi se the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system .
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increa sed stopping di stance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer or qualified
workshop. •
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra brakin g po wer.
Th e bra ke booster wor ks with vacuu m pressure which is created on ly
when the eng ine is running ~& .
& WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off.
• If the brake booster is not working , for e xample when towing
y our vehicle , or be cause the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be pressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of boo ster assistance. •
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
AB S prevents the wh eels from locking up under braking .
The ABS co ntrib utes effe ctive ly to ve hicl e con tro l s in ce i t preven ts t he
wheels from
locking when the brakes are applied . This means that the
vehicle remains steerable and is less likely to s kid.
With ABS you do not need to pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down.
However, do not expect t he A BS to sho rten b raking di stan ce u nder all
circumstances. W hen driving on grave l or on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy s urfaces, braking distance may be even longer, therefore, under .,_