2011 AUDI A6 warning

-Depress the spring catches to release the anchorage hooks
from the lower anchorages.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the child restraint firmly
in place.
& WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can increase the risk of serious
personal injury and death in an accident.
• These anchors were developed only for child safety seats using
the "LATCH " system.
• Never attach other child safety seats, belts or other objects to
these anchors.
• Always make sure that you hear a click when latching the seat
in place. If you do not hear a click the seat is not secure and could
fly forward and hit the interior of the vehicle, or be ejected from
the vehicle.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury in an accident.
• Always follow the child restraint system manufacturer's
instructions for proper installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as well as the lower anchorages or
safety belts in your vehicle.
• Always read and heed the important information and WARN·
INGS about child safety and the installation of child restraint
systems~ page
219, "Child Safety".•
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 199 Tether
an chors : recess flaps
behind the rear seat·
backs
The tether anchors for the rear seating positions are located in recesses in the rear window shelf~ fig . 199.
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that attaches the top part of
a child restraint to special anchorage points in the vehicle.
Th e pu rpose of the tether is to reduce the forward movement of the
child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head injury
that could be caused by striking the veh icle inter ior.
Forward fac ing ch ild restraints manufact ured after September 1,
1999, are required by U.S. federa l regulations to comply with new
child head movement performance requirements. These new perfor·
mance requirements make a tether necessary on most new child
safety seats.
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash.
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer
of the child restraint you intend to install in your Audi.
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (including tether
anchors) can lead to injury in a collision . The anchors are designed •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___ C_h _i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t_,, y'-----------------------------------------------
& WARNING (cont inued )
to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child
restraints.
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point .
• Never attach two child restraint system s to one tether strap or
tether anchorage.
• Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down hook in the luggage
compartment.
• Never u se child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints .
• Never se cure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors.
• If a tether or other strap i s used to attach a child restraint to
the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight, that it
c auses the weight -sensing mat to mea sure more weight than is
actually on the seat .
• The heavier weight regi stered can make the Advan ced Airbag
System work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the
Advanced Airbag when it must be suppre ssed causing serious or
e ven fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of e xceptional 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. •
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Installing the tether strap
Fig. 2 00 Tet her s tra p :
prop er rou ting and
mounting
- Release or deploy the tet her strap on the ch ild restrai nt
according to the c hild restrain t manufac ture r's instruc ­
tions .
- Guide t he u pper tet her strap
under th e rear head rest raint
=> fi g. 20 0 (raise t he head restraint if necessary).
- T ilt the recess fla p up to ex pose t he anc hor brac ke t.
- Attach the teth er st ra p anchora ge hoo k in to the openi ng
of t he t eth er anchora ge.
- Pu ll on the tet her s trap hoo k so that the s pri ng catch of
th e h ook is e ngag ed .
- Tighte n the te ther s trap firm ly followi ng the chi ld
res traint manufactu re r's i nstruc tio ns.
Releasing the tether strap
- Loos en the ten sion follow ing th e ch ild restr aint man ufac -
t u re r's instru ctio ns.
~

_____________________________________________ C _h_i_ld _ S_ a_ f_ e_ t ... Y'--- __
- Depress the spring catch on the hook and re lease it from
the anchorage .
0 Note
If you leave the child restra int with the tether strap firmly insta lled
for several days, th is could leave a mark on the upho lstery on the seat
cus hion and backrest in the area where the tether strap was insta lled.
Th e upho lstery wou ld also be perma nent ly stretched a round the
tether strap. This applies espec ially to leather seats .•
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-fac ing c hild restrai nt systems come w it h a t ether.
Please read and heed the c hild restraint system manufacturer's
instructions carefully to determine how to proper ly install the tether .
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
pa ssenger s eat w ill be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates· even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• The inflat ing airbag w ill hit the child safety seat or infant
c arrier with great for ce and will sma sh the child safety seat and
c hild against the backrest, center armrest , or door.
• A tight tether
or other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pre ssure on the weight-mat in the sea t and regi ster a heavier
weight
in the Advan ced Airbag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the sy stem work as though an adult were on the
seat and deploy the Advan ced A irbag when it mu st be suppressed
causing ser ious or even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat becau se of exceptional circum stances and
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on,
imm ediately install the rear -facing child safety s eat in a rear
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
Th ere are a numbe r of sources o f addi tional in forma tion abo ut child
restra int select ion, installation and use:
N HTSA adv ises that the best chi ld safety seat is the one that f its your
child and fits in your vehicle, a nd that you w ill use cor rectly and
cons istent ly .
Tr y before you buy!
U.S National H ighway Traffic Safety Administration
Tel. : 1-888-3 27- 4236 (T TY: 1-800- 424-91S3)
www.nhtsa.gov
Nat ional SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel. : (20 2) 662 -060 0
www.safekids .org
Safety BeltSafe U .S.A
Tel. : (800) 745 -SAF E (English)
T el. : (80 0) 74 7-SA NO (Sp anish)
www.carseat.org
Transport Canada Information Centre
T el. : 1 ( 80 0) 333 -037 1 or ca ll 1 (613 ) 99 8-86 16 if you are i n the
O ttawa area
www.tc .gc .ca/roadsafety
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example , when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces acting on the wheel during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are mainly applied on the wheel that is on the
outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the rear
wheel that is on the inside of the curve. An acoustic signal indicates
when ESP brake application cuts in =>
&.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system=>
page 246. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test . As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
You can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
by pressing the=>
page 242, fig. 201 button. When they are acti­
vated, the message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display .
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated all the time. If necessary , you
can deactivate Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Electronic Stabiliza­
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button =>
page 242, fig. 201.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the but ton . In certain excep tional situa­
tions (e.g. driving with tire chains) , the Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) can
be deactivated=>
page 244 . The message ASR off appears in the
display as well.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation •
Deactivating ESP/ASR
Press the button for more than 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
=>
page 14. The message ESP switched off appears in the display as
well.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the laws of physics. It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDL) helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impossible .
How the system works
The EDL operates automatically . It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the help of the ABS sensors
=>
page 246 . 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 othe r drive wheel or wheels (all-wheel drive). This is done up to a
speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the brake system
signal that wheel spin is being controlled.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Driv ing off
When driving off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you acce lerate. If one d rive w heel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, gradua lly inc rease the press ure on the accelerator pedal
un til the car sta rts to move .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel from overheating if
subjected to excessive loads o n this whee l, t he EDL cuts out tem po­
ra rily. The vehicle rema ins operat iona l a nd be haves in the same way
as a ve hicle wit hout EDL.
As soon as the bra ke has coo le d down , ED L swit ches on again au to­
matically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces , such as on i ce or snow ,
alway s be careful when depre ssing the accelerator pedal. Even
with the EDL work ing , the drive wheels can spin and reduce your
ability to control your car. Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety ri sks . Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
(I) Tips
If a fa ult occurs i n the ABS, the EDL is also not f unct io ni ng . This is
indic ated by t he A BS war ning ligh t=>
page 17.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti- S lip Re gula tio n Sy stem preven ts the dr iven
w heels from spin ning w hen t he car is accelerating .
General notes
The Anti-S lip Reg ulation Sys tem (AS R) is in tegr ate d in the ele ctroni c
stabilization program (ESP) . When the ve hicle starts up and acceler­
at es, the whee ls are p reven ted from sp inning by adjust ing t he engine
power to match the amount of grip avai lable from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatically, i.e. witho ut the driver 's intervent ion.
W ith the a id of t he ABS sensors=>
page 246, ASR moni to rs the speed
of the dr iven wheels. If the wheels start to spin , th e engine torque is
redu ced a utomatically unti l the t ires find enou gh gr ip to lock onto
the road surface. T he system is active across the entire speed range .
Th e ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction sho uld
occ ur in th e ABS, th e AS R w ill also be out of action.
Activating
The ESP is automatically activated whe n the engine is started and it
performs a se lf-test. You can act ivate a deact ivate d ASR if required by
press ing the=>
pag e 242, fig. 201 button. Whe n it is act ivated, t he
message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in t he disp lay. Vehicles with
front-wheel d rive a dea ct iva te d ASR a uto mat icall y re-ac tiva tes i tself
at a speed of 40 mp h (70 km/h) .
Deactivating
You can deact ivate t he ASR if required by pressing t he button (for less
t han 3 se conds) =>
page 242, fig . 2 0 1. Wi th the ASR dea ct ivated, the
ESP check light comes on, see=>
page 14. The message ASR off
appe ars i n the di sp la y as wel l. On vehicles wi th fro nt-whee l dr ive:
deactivation is possible only up to 30 mph (SO km/h) for safety
reas ons. Vehi cles w ith all -wheel drive: the AS R can be deac tivated at
any speed. ..

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The ASR should normally be activated all the time . Only in certain
except ional situations when some slip is desirable does it make sense
to deactivate the ASR. Examples:
• when driving with tire chains
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground and
• when rocking the vehicle loose after it has become stuck.
When the abnormal s ituation 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 whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical tires . Any differences in rolling radius of the tir es can
cause the system to reduce engine power when this is not desired.
See also=>
page 307, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels". •
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles 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 authorized
Aud i dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte-
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing 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.
Noises may occur when brak ing depending on the speed , braking
force and outside cond it ions such as temperature and humidity.
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 t ime when braking on wet
surfaces. You, the driver, will not notice anything.
Under certain cond it ions, 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 sa lt-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 dr iven 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
fi rm ly 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=>& . .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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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 320,
"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 .,_

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these circ umstances, it is especially importa nt that you dr ive slowly
a nd wi th grea t ca re .
How the ABS system works
An au tom ati c c heck is m ade w hen a speed of about 4 mp h (6 km /h) is
reac hed. When th is happens, a pump ing no ise can be heard.
If an indivi dual w heel beg ins to rot ate too s low ly in relat ion to vehi cle
speed and tends to lock, t he A BS a utomat ically reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent that w heel from loc king .
Thi s au tom atic adju stm ent pr oces s w ill c au se a
slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed must
be ad apted to exis tin g road and traff ic c ondi tio ns.
& 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 J Tips
• If A BS is no t fu nct ion ing prope rly, a w arn ing ligh t will come on .
See
~ page 17 .
• If a f ault o ccur s in the A BS, the EDL is also not func tio ning. T his is
ind icated by the ABS war ning light.
Brake assistant
--
The brake assis tan t is d esign ed to achie ve the opt imum
b raki ng eff ect.
The b rake ass istant he lps to increase the effective braking power and
t hu s to ac hi eve a shorter stopping dis tance . If t he dr iver p re sse s t he
brake peda l ve ry qu ickly, the b rake assistant automatica lly boosts the
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
brak
ing fo rce to t he maximum level , up to the point where the anti­
l ock brak e fu nction (A BS) in terve nes to stop the whee ls fr om l ocking.
Yo u should t hen kee p the brake pedal pressed unti l the ve hicle has
bra ked to the required speed. The bra ke ass istant switches itself off
as soon as you re lease the brake pedal.
The brake assistant will not be operative i f th ere is a ma lf u nction in
t he A BS.
& 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 clo sely. Increa sed 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 po wer s teerin g sys tems uses the power of the
runnin g engine to a llow p re cis e st ee rin g with little effort.
The adva nced Servotronic ® power stee ring syste m senses the road
speed and elect ronically adjusts power assistance to p rovide
c omfortab le and saf e steer ing response exa ctly match ed to th e
vehicle speed.
P owe r steer ing will not wor k if the engine is o ff. As a resul t, the
steeri ng wheel will be hard to tu rn .
The power steering fluid level is checke d dur ing the sched uled main ­
tenance se rvices .
0 Note
If the re is a n ele ct ronic mal func tion, s ervo tr onic will s till f unction
like a conventional power steering system, provid ing a constant
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data