2011 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

Intelligent technology
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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

Intelligent technologyL ______________________________________ _
steering support force that is no longer proportionate to the vehicle
speed. This is most noticeable when turning the steering wheel at low
speeds (for example when parking), - more effort will be required
than usual.
• Be aware of the different than usual steering response and adjust
your steering force accordingly.
• Have the prob lem checked and set right by an Audi dealer as soon
as possible.
[ i ] Tips
• When the engine is running, never hold the steering wheel turned
all the way to the right or to the left for longer than 15 seconds . The
power steering pump will overheat the hydraul ic fluid if you keep
holding the steering wheel turned all the way . This is likely to damage
the power steering system.
• If the power steering system should fail entirely, or if the engine
is not running (for examp le, while be ing towed), you will still be able
to steer the vehicle. However,
considerably more effort will be
required to do so.
• If the power steering system should have a leak, or is not func­
tioning properly, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately.
• The power steering system requires a specially formulated
hydra ulic fluid. The power steering reservoir is the one located most
forward on the left side of the engine compartment=>
page 280. The
correct fluid level in the reservoir is important for proper functioning
of the power steering . •
A pp lies to veh icles: with All W heel Dr ive
Driving with your quattro®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driven.
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is distributed to all four wheels . This
happens automatically depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time . See also=:>
page 243, "Electronic different ial
lock ( EDL)".
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle with A ll Wheel Drive has an
advantage , even w ith regular t ires . In winter road condit ions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-season tires) fo r improved
dr iveability and braking: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels.
See also =:> page 311, "Winter tires".
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain roads, this normally also
applies to vehicles with A ll Whee l Drive=:>
page 312, "Snow chains".
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with All Wheel Drive must always have tires of the same size .
Also avoid tires with different tread depths . For details see page
=:>
page 307, "New tires and replacing tires and wheels ".
Off-Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road vehicle . It is therefore best to avoid rough tracks and uneven
terrain as much as possible. Also refer to=>
page 252.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
9),

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t _;_e _;__;_ ll;....,igent technology ..__==-
& 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
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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.

Driving and environment
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Driving and environment
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first 1,000 miles
(1,50 0 km) .
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers):
Do not use fu ll thrott le .
- Do not drive at engine speeds that are more than 2/3 of
the maximum permitted RPM .
- Avo id high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
- Spe eds can
gradually be i ncr eas ed to the maxi mu m
perm iss ible road or engin e spee d.
During and after break-in period
- Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds when it is co ld.
This app lies whether t he tra nsmission is in N ( Neutra l) or
1 n gear.
After the break-in period - Do not exceed maximum engi ne s pee d und er any circum­
stances .
- Up shift i nto t he next high er g ear
befor e reach in g the red
area at t he end of the tachometer sc al e=>
pa ge 8.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
During the first few ho
urs of d riving, the engine 's interna l fr iction is
highe r than later when all the moving parts have been broken in . How
well th is br eak -in p rocess is done depends to a cons iderab le extent on
the way the veh icle is driven dur ing the f irst 1,000 miles (1,500 kilo­
meters).
0 Note
E x tremely high e ngine speeds a re au tomat ically re duced. However,
these rpm limits are programmed for an engine well run -in, not a new
engine .
~ For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with u nnecessa rily high engine s peeds -upshift ing early
saves f uel, reduces no ise and protec ts the environme nt.
New tires
If your v eh icl e is run ning on new t ires, driv e p arti cul ar ly
c a refu l fo r the first 35 0 miles (50 0 kilometers) af ter fit ting.
& WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must al so be "broken-in ". Be
sure to remember this during the first 350 m iles (500 kilome ­
ter s). Brake gently . Avoid following closely behind other vehicles
or other situations that might require sudden, hard braking. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a f ull braki ng
e ff e ct during the first 250 miles (400 kilometers) after they
are i nsta lle d.
New bra ke pads have to be "b ur nished in " before they have opt ima l
grab=> &.
Dur ing the break -in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes . Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braki ng,
in particu lar at very high s peeds or, for examp le, on mountai n passes.
& WARNING
New brake pads don 't have the be st stopping power and must be
" broken -in " during the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal cit y driving. You can compensate for thi s by
pressing th e brak e pedal more firmly. This also applies lat er wh en
new pad s are installed. n
Avoid damaging the vehicle
W hen yo u are d riving on poor roads, or over c urbs, steep ram ps, etc.,
ma ke c ert ain that low-lying pa rts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damage d.
Thi s is espe cially t rue for veh icle s wi th low-slung chass is (spor ts
chassis)* and fully loaded vehicles.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when driving throug h
water, fo r example on flooded roads: •
The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle
body .
• Do not dr ive faster than wa lking speed.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud, slush , etc. , the brake s may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads.
Dry the
brakes first by braking carefully to restore the full b rak ing effect.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, transmission, suspension o r
elect rical sys tem can be seve rely damaged by dr iv ing t hrough w ater.
[ i ] Tips
• Check t he de pth of the wa ter bef ore dr iv ing thro ugh it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off
when drivi ng throug h wate r.
• Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves t hat raise
t he wate r level a nd make i t too deep fo r yo ur veh icle to drive th ro ugh
safe ly.
• Avoid dr iv ing through sa lt water because i t can cause corros ion. •
Catalytic converter
--
It is very impor tant that your emission control system
(catalyti c converter) is functioning properly t o ensure
that y our vehicle i s run ning i n an en viro nme ntally sou nd
man ner.
- A lways us e lead-fr ee gasoline=> page 273, "F uel supp ly".
- N ever run the tan k down all the way to empty. .._

Driving and environment
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-Nev er p ut too much motor oil in yo ur eng ine=:> pag e 284 ,
"A dd ing eng ine o il 't=:r.".
- N ever try to push- or tow-star t your ve hicle.
Th e catalyt ic conve rter is an eff ic ient "clean-up" device built into the
ex ha ust system of the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns many of
t he pollu tan ts i n the exhaust gas be fore they are re leased into the
atmosphere.
Th e excl usive use o f un leaded fuel is crit ic all y import ant for the lif e of
the catalytic converter and proper funct io ni ng of the engine.
& WARNING
• Do not park or ope rate the vehicle in areas where the hot
exhaust sy stem may come in conta ct with dry grass, bru sh, fuel
spill or othe r materi al which can cause a fire .
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold , exhaust p ipes , catalytic converter or
heat shi eld s. During driving, the sub stance u sed for und ercoating
could o verheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
• Be aware that just one tank filling w it h leaded fuel will already
ser iously degr ade the performance of the catalyt ic converter.
• Do not exceed the correct engine oi l level =>
page 284.
• Do not dr ive until t he fuel tank becomes com plete ly em pty. The
engine could misfire. Unbu rned fue l co uld also get into the exhaust
sys tem and t his co ul d cause t he ca talyt ic converter to ove rheat.
• Do not turn off the ignition while the vehicle is moving.
• Do not continue to operate your vehicle under these conditions, as
otherwise fuel can reac h the cata lyti c conve rter. This co ul d res ult in
over heat ing of the converter, requir ing its rep lacement.
• T o ass ure eff icient operat ion of the Emission Cont rol System:
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
t he se rvi ce recom menda tions i n your W arran ty
& Mai ntenan ce
booklet.
- Lac k of proper mai nte nance as well as im proper use o f th e
veh icle w ill impair the function of the emiss io n cont rol system and
c o uld lead to d amage.
~ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Contro l System is operating properly, the
exhaust gas can have a s ulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some
operating states . This depends on the sulfur content of the fue l being
used. Using a differe nt brand of fuel may help, or filli ng the tank with
lead-free super g rade gasoline. •
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Yo ur p ersonal sty le o f driving will determine the eco nom y
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, envi ronmenta l impact, and wear on your engine,
bra kes and tires la rgely depend on t hree fac to rs:
• your persona l dr iv ing style
• operati ng conditio ns
• technical limitations
If you an tici pat e wh at yo u nee d to do nex t an d drive eco no m ic ally,
you can easily cut your fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent. This
se ct io n w ill give you s ome tips on how yo u can he lp the env ironme nt
and your pocketbook .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
(I] Tip s
The consumption estimates as pub lished by ENV IRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avo id unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fue l when they a re accele rating. If you antici­
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible -for
example when you see that the next traffic l ight is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approx imately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi­
tions permit.
a Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-
Shut the engine off when yo u are not driving the vehicle.
- Do not warm up the vehic le by letting the eng ine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at rai lroad crossings, o r at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red . Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. Howeve r, wear and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld d rive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at hig h rpms while the eng ine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which cou ld result in
overheat ing o r othe r damage to the vehicle or other p roperty. •
Regular maintenanc_e ____________ _
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
- Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having yo ur vehicle regularly se rviced by an Audi dealer helps to
ensure that it runs properly and economically . T he condition of your
vehicle not only a ffects its safety and ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso
affects
fu el con sumption .
Check your o il e ach tim e you fill you r tank.
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