2011 AUDI A6 battery

Outlet
The outlet in the front and rear center console may be
used for 12-volt appli ances .
- Fold the cover fo r the outlet down .
Fig. 88 Center
c on sole , fr ont: 12 -vol t
ou tlet
- Rear center console: remove the 12 V cover from the
out le t.
- Plug in appliance to be used.
The outlet may be used for 12-volt appliances with maxim um
consumption of up to 100 wat ts, su ch as a flash light, small vacuum
cleaner, etc.
Be fore you purchase any accessories, always read and fo llow the
information in:::::,
page 348, "Additional accessories and parts
replacement".
& WARNING
The outlet plus any applianc es plugged into it r emain functional
even if the ign ition is switched off or th e ign itio n key is remo ved.
Ne ver leave children in side the vehicle without supervi sion.
Cont rols a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
0 Note
To avo id damaging the socket, only use p lugs that fit p roperly.
[ i ] Tips
Whe n the engine is off and accesso ries a re st ill plugged in and a re on,
the vehicle battery can still be drained. •
Storage
General overview
There are numerous places to store items in your vehicle .
Glove compa rtment :::::, page 94
Storage compartment in roof :::::, page 95
Coat hooks :::::, page 95
Storage compartment in the trunk :::::, page 86
& WARNING
• Alwa ys rem ove objects from the in strument panel. Any items
not stor ed could slid e around in side the v ehicle while driv ing or
when a ccelerating o r whe n applying t he br ake s or whe n driv ing
around a corn er.
• When you are dri ving make sure that an ything you ma y have
placed in the center con so le or other sto rage locat ion s cannot fall
out into the footwells . In case of sudden br aking you would not be
able to b rake or acc ele rate.
• An y article s of clothing that you ha ve hung up mu st not inter­
f e re with th e driver's view . The co at hooks are d esigne d only for
lightweight clothing. Ne ver ha ng any clothing with ha rd, pointed
or heavy obj ects in the pockets on th e co at hooks . During sudden
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

1111....__A_ u_ d_i_ s_id _e_ a_s _s_ i_ s _t _________________________________________________ _
Notes
Applies to v ehicl es : w it h sid e ass ist
Messages in instrument cluster display
I f si de ass ist tur ns off automatica lly, t he in dicator light on the butto n
w ill go out a nd you w ill s ee a m essag e in t he i nstrumen t cluste r
display:
Audi side assist not available: sensors blocked
Th e side ass is t se nsors ar e built i nto th e rear bump er on th e le ft and
r igh t (no t vis ib le o n the out sid e)=>
pag e 137, fig. 128 . To ensur e
that yo u do not a dve rsely affect t he way si de assist funct ions, foreign
obj ects (such as st ick ers or bicycle rac ks) should not b e atta ch ed t o
the area on t he rear bum per whe re t he sensors are located. If side
assi st funct ions a re adve rse ly aff ected, y ou wi ll see th is m essage in
the inst rument cl uster disp lay. R emove anyth ing that may b e
b locking t he sens ors .
If no ve hicl e is detect ed for a lo nger p eriod of t im e w hile driving , side
assist w ill also sw itc h
off automati ca lly .
Audi side ass ist currently not available
I f the re i s a t empora ry problem (s u ch as the vehicle 's battery char ge
b ein g low), s ide ass ist ca nnot b e act ivated t em porar ily .
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an a utho riz ed Aud i dealer or qualified
wo rk shop. •
Applies to ve hicl es : w ith sid e ass is t
Safety tips
T he s ide assist detection may be limited w hen driving aro und narrow
str eet co rn ers, on hill y stree ts, and under p oor we ath er co nditions . It is possib
le that the radar senso rs may also detect other objects,
such a s high or st agg ere d gu ardr ails.
Side assis t does not measure ac tual lane wid th . T he sys tem assumes
a fixe d lane w idth . Detection in the le ft and rig ht lanes is based on
th is ass um ed lan e width . Wh en drivi ng on narrow ro ads or w hen
driv ing to t he left or r ight of t he cente r of a t ravel lane, it is possib le
that vehicles will be de te ct ed th at are
no t in th e lan e nex t to th e lane
you a re us ing.
& WARNING
• Improper reliance on the side assist system can cause collisions
and serious personal injury:
-Never rely only on side assist when changing lanes.
- Always check rear view mirrors to make sure that it is safe to
change lanes.
• Side assist cannot detect all vehicles under all conditions­
danger of accident!
• Side assist cannot detect vehicles in time to alert you when
they approach from behind at very high speed , or fall drop back
very quickly.
• The radar sensor's
vision can be reduced or entirely blocked by
rain, snow, and heavy spray. This can result in side assist not
adequately detecting vehicles or, in some cases, not detecting
them at all . Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling
and the relevant area around the vehicle .
• Please note that side assist indicates there are approaching
vehicles, or vehicles in your blind spot , only after your vehicle has
reached a driving speed of at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
• Side assist signal does not work around tight corners (turning
radius less than 328 feet, or 100 m) .
• Side assist is no replacement for the driver's full attention . The
driver alone is responsible for lane changes and similar driving
maneuvers. Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling
and the relevant area around the vehicle.
~

-Automatic transmission .n,..__ ______________ _
Appli es to veh icles : wi th 6-spe ed a utomatic t ransm iss ion
Emergency release for selector Lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
Fig. 144 Remove the
ashtray insert
Fig. 145 Emergency
release for selector
lever
The emergency release is located under the insert for the
ashtray.
- Slide open the cover for the ashtray.
- Grasp the ashtray insert=>
page 152, fig. 144 by the
recesses on both sides and pull it upward and out.
- Now you can see a small cover in the ashtray holder.
- Release and remove this cover from the ashtray holder. -
Using a screwdriver or a similar tool, press down on the
screw in the middle of the ashtray holder, which is now
accessible, and hold it down=> fig. 145.
- Now press the interlock and move the selector lever to the
N position.
The selector lever can only be moved from the P position if the igni­
tion key is in the lock and the ignition is turned on . If the vehicle has
to be pushed or towed if the power supply fails (e.g. battery is
discharged), the selector lever must be
moved to the N position using
the emergency locking device.•
multitronic ®
Appli es to vehi cles: w ith mul tit ron ic® Co ntin uous ly Var ia ble Tra nsm iss ion ( CVT)
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a electronically controlled continuously
variable transmiss ion (multitronic ®). Inside the multitronic ® system,
the gear ratios are not shifted in finite steps as in a conventional auto­
matic transmission, but rath er
continuously. As a result, engine
power is applied smoothly and comfortably, and better fuel economy
is achieved .
The transm ission selects the appropriate gear ratio (upshifts and
downshifts) automatically based on set driving programs
~ page 156, "Dynamic shift program (DSP)".
You can also manually select a shift program (tiptronic ®)
~ page 157.
You should note, that the multitronic transmission differs from a
conventional Autom ati c Transmission . In the multitronic transmis­
sion the engine power is transferred via a link-plate chain, rather than
by a conventional torque converter. The multitronic transmission
greatly reduces vehicle "creep" when at a standstill and the transmis­
sion is in
D Sor R . •

____________________________________________ A_ u_ t_ o_ m_ a_ t_ i_ c _ t_ra _ n_s_ m __ is_s_ i_ o _ n _ __._
App lies to vehicles : wi th mul titro nic® Continu ous ly Va riable Trans missi on (CV T)
Emergency release for selector lever
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selector lever can
be released in an emergency.
Fig. 152 Remove the
asht ray insert
F ig . 153 E mergen cy
release for se lector
l ever
The emergency release is located under the insert for the
ashtray.
- Slide open the cover for the ashtray .
- Grasp the ashtray insert~ fig. 152 by the recesses on
both sides and pull it upward and out.
- Now you can see a small cover in the ashtray holder.
- Release and remove this cover from the ashtray holder.
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
-Using a screwdriver or a similar tool, press down on the
screw in the middle of the ashtray holder , which is now
accessible, and hold it down~ fig. 153 .
- Now press the interlock and move the selector lever to the
N position.
The selector lever can only be moved from the P position if the igni­
tion key is in the lock and the ignition is turned on. If the vehicle has
to be pushed or towed if the power supply fails (e.g. battery is
discharged), the selector lever must be moved to the
N position using
the emergency locking device. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

____ A_ ir_b_ a_ g=- s-= y~ s_ t_ e_ m ____________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Always make sure that the side a irbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat covers or replacement uphol stery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use addit ional se at cushions that cover the areas
where the side ai rbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi­
ately by an author ized Audi dealer.
• The airbag system can be activated only on ce. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, t raining
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deploy ed only once. After an airbag
has been dep loyed , it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For s afety reason s in s evere accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is sc rapped , all appli ­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
W For the sake of the environment
Un deployed ai rbag modu les and p retensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Mate rial -special handling may apply, see
www.dts c.ca.gov/ha za rdouswas te/pe rchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing airbag modules and saf ety
be lts wi th p retens ioners are sc rappe d, all applicable laws an d regu la ­
tions must be observed. Yo ur authorized Aud i dealer is familiar w ith
t hese requi reme nts and we recommend tha t yo u have yo ur dealer
perform th is service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
t h e Advan ced Airbag System pe rforms in a cr ash . For e xamp le, usi ng
tire-rim combinations not app roved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffness o f th e suspension, incl uding the sp rings,
suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the forces that
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors and sent to the ele ct ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension changes can, fo r exam ple, increase the force
levels measured by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had no t been
ma de . Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ured
by the sensors and p revent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p as senge r se at tell the e lectroni c cont rol mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latched or not . If the safety belt is being used, t he front a irbag w ill
dep loy a t a s lightly h igher r ate o f vehicle decele ration t han if t he
safety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a par ticular collis io n, it is
possible that an a irba g w ill not dep loy at a seating position where the
safety belt is being used but w ill inflate at the posit ion where the
safety belt is not be ing use d. It is im portant that nothing interfere
w it h t he safety belt bu ckles so that t he sensors can se nd the co rrect
info rmation about safety be lt use to the electronic contro l unit.
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& WA RNING (c on tinued )
• Although the All Wheel Drive is ve ry effe ctive , alway s
remember that braking capacity i s limited by tire traction. You
should the refore not drive at e xce ssive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua­
planing ). If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden in crease in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
veh icle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi­
tions - risk of crash. •
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
f nergy management controls the distri bution of elec ­
trical energy and thus optimiz es th e availability of elec ­
tri cal energy for startin g the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l e ne rgy sys tem is not driven fo r a long
period of time, the battery is d ischarged by idling cur rent consumers
(e.g . immo bilizer). In ce rt ain circumstance s it can re sul t in t here
being insufficient energy ava ilab le to start the engine .
Inte lligent energy management in your ve hicl e han dles the dist ribu­
t ion of e lectr ica l energy . Starting ability is ma rkedly improved a nd
the life of the battery is extende d.
B as ica lly, energy man agemen t consis ts of
battery diagno sis, idling
current management
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuous ly dete rmines the state of the battery.
Se nso rs de ter mine batte ry vo ltage, ba ttery c urren t and bat tery
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
temperature
. Th is determines the cur rent state of charge and the
powe r of the b attery.
Idling current management
Idli ng cur rent m anagement reduces energy consump tion w hile the
vehicle is standing. With the ignition switc hed off, it controls the
energy su pply to the v ario us ele ct ric al com po nents. D ata from
battery diagnosis is considered .
Depen ding on the battery's state of charge, individual consumers a re
gradually tu rned off to p revent excess ive d ischa rge of the battery and
thus ma intain start ing capab ility.
Dynamic energy management
Whi le the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic energy management
dis tributes the energy ge ne rated according to the needs of t he indi­
vidua l compo nents.
It regulates consumpt ion, so that more e lectr ica l
energy is not be ing use d tha n is being gene rated and ensures an
optimal state o f charge for the battery.
[I) Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits o f phys ics.
Conside r th at th e p ower and li fe o f a batte ry ar e limi ted.
• If starting ab ility is threatened, yo u are in formed by a warning
=> p age 2 50, "Dr iver n otifi cat ion in the inst rum ent cl uste r displ ay".
What you should know
The high est priority is given to main taining star tin g cap a­
bility.
Th e battery is seve rely taxed in sho rt-distanc e dr iving, in city t raffic
and dur ing t he cold time of year. Ab undant e lectr ica l energy is
re qui red, bu t on ly a little is generate d. It is a lso c rit ica l if the engine
is not run ning and electrica l compone nts are turned on. In this
in st an ce e nergy i s being consumed bu t none is being ge ne rat ed. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
'-------------------------------------------------
It is in precisely these situations that you will notice energy manage­
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
red uces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remote key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be avai lab le. The convenience functions wi ll be ava il­
able again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off o r
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged.
If starting capability is jeopard ized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes .
The warning indicates that the system will be turned off automati­
cally after 3 minutes. If you wis h to continue using the funct ions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrica l energy is generated when the vehicle is being
dr iven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and
the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibrium, consumers which
req uire especially large amounts of energy are temporarily cut back
or switched off . H eating systems in particular require a great deal of
energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated seats* or the
heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut
back or switched off. These systems will be ava ilable again as soon as
the energy ba lance has been restored. You will also
notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly. This is normal and not a cause for concern. By increasing
engine idle speed the addit ional energy required is generated and the
battery is charged. •
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery powe r drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
w ith the following driver message:
1 Low battery charge: battery will be charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting capability of the
eng ine may be limited. As soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go out.
Driver notification appears and goes out again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
wh ile driving and it goes out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not go out
again
If this dr iver not ificat ion appears after the ign it ion is turned on or
whi le driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is restricted . Have the
battery checked as soon as possible at a dealership.

___________________________________________ C..:...._ h:....:e :....:c:..:. k.::..: i..:.. n .:..:g:!:....:: a....:. n..:.. d~ f:....:. i.:..ll :.:.i:....:n :.:g !....- __
Closing the engine hood
- Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced.
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire. • Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine is
running or being started, never touch:
-Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move selector lever to
"P" (Park). .,
Vehicle care Technical data