2011 AUDI A6 warning

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care­
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i­
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load
~ page 346. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
e tc. A well ca red for Audi c an look lik e new many ye ars after pur cha se.
Regu lar and correct care w ill contribute to mai nta in ing t he bea uty
a nd valu e of your Au di.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Yo ur au thori zed Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or other comme r­
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please make sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ign ition on or the engine running .
& WARNING (continued )
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 245, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re quent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicle.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How oft en thi s is requ ired depen ds on :
• How m uch the vehicle is used
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, etc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• Environ mental influences
T he longer bird droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on t he veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper­
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~

____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ _
Under certain circumstances, weekly washing may be necessary .
Under other conditions, a monthly washing and waxing may be
adequate.
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle shou ld be thoroughly
washed, p referably in a profess ional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto­
matic car wash.
Th e vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle can normally be
washed without problems in an automatic car wash . However, the
effect on the paint depends to a lar ge exten t on the design of the
facility, the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care material, etc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going through
the car wash or is scratched, bring this to the attention of the oper­
ator immediately . If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going thro ugh a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau­
tions such as closing the windows and power roof. Factory installed
antennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle -such as
spoilers, roof rack, etc. - it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Safety first
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
-Before you star t washing, make sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS~
& in "General informa ­
tion" on
page 260.
- First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then rinse it off .
- As you clean your vehicle, start with the roof and work your
way down to the bottom, using a sponge, a sponge glove
or a clean brush.
- Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often, flush ing it
clean each time .
- Use special car shampoo only for very persistent dirt.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
- Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the exterior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the wheels, door sills and other
regions exposed to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch the
paint with coa rse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time you
wash the car.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. _..
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r d ust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
veh icle's pai nt o r win dows.
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight . D rops of water act as
magnifyi ng lenses and may damage your p aint.
• When you was h yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose , be careful not to a im the stream of wate r d irect ly at locks, or
at doo r or hatch openings -they can freeze s hut.
• N ever use sponges des igned to remove insects, o r any kitchen
sco uring sponges or s imilar pro ducts. They can damage yo ur paint
fi ni sh.
• N ever use a dry cl oth o r sp on ge to clean t he he adlig hts. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water .
For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environme nt, the ve hicl e should on ly be washed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cle a ning the exterior o f y o ur car with a hi gh-pressure
po we r w ashe r is s afe as long as y ou observe a few simple
ru les.
- Bef ore using the power wa sher, make su re yo u hav e rea d
and unders tood the WAR NIN GS ~
& in "G ener al in for ­
matio n" o n
pag e 260 .
- Always follow t he o perat in g in struc tions fo r t he power
was her. -
Make sure t hat t he je t o n the spray hose pro duc es a "fan
sha ped spr ay ".
- Do
not ho ld t he spray no zzle too close to so ft mat eria ls.
When cleani ng the vehicle wi th a power washer al ways fo llow the
operat ing inst ruct ions . T his ap plies part icu lar ly to the
operating
pressure
a nd the spraying distance . Keep a distance from soft mate­
r ia ls s uch as rubbe r hoses or insulating material as well as sensors
a nd came ra le n ses.
Do not use
a jet wh ich sprays water in a direct stream or one that has
a rotating je t.
W ate r temperature s houl d no t exceed 140
°F (60 °() .
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream.
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them ,
even if the spray is from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury .
0 Note
To avo id damagi ng your vehicle , a lways ma ke s ure th at ther e is suffi­
cient distance between the s pray head a nd soft mate rials like r ubber
hoses, p las tic pa rt s an d sound -dea den ing ma ter ials. Never ai m the
spray head at the same po int for
a long time. This a lso applies to
cleaning headligh ts a nd pai nte d bu mpe rs. Remember: the close r the
nozzle is to the surface of the material, the greater the stress on the
m at eria l. •