2011 AUDI A6 Owners Manual

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Waxing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
- Use a man ually applied car wax occasionally to protect the
paint .
A good wax coat ing p ro tects the vehi cle pa int to a la rge exte nt
against the environmental factors listed under=>
page 260,
"Washing " and even against slig ht s cratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your paint as soon as one week after your vehicle has been delivered .
E ven if you regularly use a
waxing p ro cess in a utomatic car washes,
we recommend that you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
pai nt extra p rotectio n, part icularly if wate r no longer beads on the
clean pa int.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the same way as the vehicle
body .
Dur ing warm weather dead insects tend to collect on the front
bumpe r and on the forward area of the hood. They a re much easier to
remove from pa int that is waxed
often .
& WARNING
Alway s read and heed all WARNING S and other information
=> pag e 260.
0 Note
Do not use car wax on
• matte o r anodized meta l trim
• rubber or rubber-like tr im. •
Safety first
Polishing
Polishing restores the gloss to the paint.
Polish your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its shine and the gloss
c annot be bro ught back wi th wax.
If the polish used does not contain preservative compounds, the
paint must be waxed afterwards=>
page 263, "Waxing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other informa tion
:::> page 260 .
0 Note
Do not treat matte anodized metal tr im, plastic or rubber parts with
polish or wax. •
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For env ironmental reasons, Aud i fabr icates the bright trim strips and
trim p ieces from p ure chrom ium-free alum inum .
Dirt and marks on the tr im strips should be removed with a
pH ­
balanced clean ing age nt (do no t use a chrome clean er) . Au di dealers
carry cleaning products which have been tested for use on your
vehicle and a re not h armf ul t o the envi ronment.
T o avo id corrosion on the exterior trim strips, only a pH-balanced
solution sho uld be used for the windshie ld washer .
& WARNING
Always re ad and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:::> page 260 . •
Vehicle care Technical data

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Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove dust and light surface
dirt. For other soil, use a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim . Remove water spots and traces of
soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a clean cloth or sponge
soaked with all-purpose cleaner or with a solvent designed especially
to clean vinyl.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservative to retain
the material 's luster and pliability.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:::> page 260. •
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots and deposits from
aluminum surfaces. Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners will
attack aluminum surfaces and can damage them over time .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 260. •
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up immediately.
- Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray paint to cover
minor scratches and nicks.
Your Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor scratches and stone
chips . Scratches should be touched up soon after they occur to
prevent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple touch-up job will not be
enough. The affected surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust primer before the painted finish can be restored.
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the vehicle identification label=>
page 340.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 260. •
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road film and carwash
wax buildup.
- Remove snow from windows using a brush.
- Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from windows and
mirrors.
- Remove other residue on the windows with a spray-on glass cleaner.
- Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of cloth or
kitchen paper towel.

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The best way to remove snow from w indows and mirrors is to use a
br ush . Use a non- abra sive
plastic ice scraper -better st ill, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from w indows and mirro rs .
T he windows must not be cleaned with insect remover o r wax since
t hese ca n interfere w it h the func tion of the w indshie ld wipe r blades
(chatte r).
O il, g re ase o r silicone resi due c an be remove d with
glass cleaner or
silicone remover. However, wax residue requires the use of a specially
formulated solvent . Please contact your A udi dea ler for advice on safe
prod ucts for wax removal.
Wi ndows s hou ld also be cleaned on the inside at regu lar intervals .
N ever dry wi ndow s w ith t he same ch amo is tha t you use to dry pain ted
surfaces. Wax res idue o n the c hamois ca n impa ir vis ion t hrough t he
w indows.
& WARNING
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent
materials. They can increase glare under poor vis ibility conditions
such as wetness, darkness, or when the sun is low on the horizon .
In addit ion, they can cause the windshield wipe rs to chatter.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260.
0 Note
• N ever use warm or hot water to remove snow and ice from
w indows and mir rors . This cou ld c au se the glass to c rac k.
• To prevent damage to the wires of the rear defogger, do not place
a ny adhesive stick ers on the inside of the re ar window ove r the wires .
• T o help prevent dirt from scratching the window, a lways scra pe in
a fo rwa rd direction -pu shing t he s crape r away fro m you -neve r back
and fort h.•
Safety first
Weatherstrips
C om pl ete c ar c are inc ludes the weat her strips as well .
- Ap ply a sui tab le ru bb er co nditio ner to t he we athers tri ps
from time to time .
To be able sea l pro pe rly, the weat hers tr ips arou nd the hood, doo rs,
rear lid, etc. m ust remain pliable. Spray the weathe rst rips with sili­
con e or coat them wit h talcu m p owder or glyce rine t o reta in the flex­
ibility of the rubber and to protect them against freezing in t he
wi nter.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 260.
[I) Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the winds hie ld to avoid wiper smear in ra in. •
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) all oy wheels requir e sp ecial c are.
- Wash the whe els wi th a spo nge or h ose bru sh ev er y othe r
w ee k.
- Fo r deep cleaning afterwar ds, use on ly a dedi cated
acid­
free cas t all oy whe el cleaner.
- R ub a coat of
liquid wax onto the r ims eve ry three month .
B e su re to reac h an d trea t all parts o f the rim.
To preserve the dec orative appearance of the cast alloy whee ls , some
s pecial care is necessa ry . In add ition to road dirt and s alt , bra ke du st
is a lso corrosive . If left on for too long, brake dust can cause pitt ing . ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

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Use only special acid-free cleaners formulated for a lloy r ims . Sa fe
pro ducts are availabl e at your A udi de aler. Never leave t he cle aner on
the rims longe r tha n spec ified on the label. If not rinsed off promptly,
the ac id contained in some cleaners can attack the t hreads on the
w heel bolts.
Never use abrasive or metal po lish ing cleaning agents.
If the protec ­
t ive coa ting ha s been ch ipped, e.g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
=> page 245, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:>page 260 . •
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be checked .
All body cavit ies which cou ld be affected by corrosion have been thor ­
oughly p rotected at the factory .
Th is sea ling does not require any inspection or additiona l treatment.
If any wax sho uld seep ou t of the cavi ty when the ambien t tempera ­
ture is h igh, it can be removed w it h a plastic scraper and a suitable
so lvent .
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you use benzine for
removing the wa x, keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the ground, into open st reams or
down sewag e drains.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Be su re to observe all safety and environmental regulations.
Follow all instructions on the container.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:>page 260 . •
Chassis
Hav e the undercoa ting checked fo r damage f rom time to
ti me.
The lower body shell of your Audi is a lso thoroughly protected against
c orrosion .
Any damage to the u nde rcoat ing caused by road ha za rds sho uld be
repaire d promptly.
& WARNING
Too mu ch undercoating in the wrong places can caus e a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustp roofing on or
near the exhau st manifold , exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. While dr iving, the substance used for undercoating
c ould overheat and cau se a fire.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
=:>page 260 . •
E x haust tail pipes
Road s alt and ot her c orrosive mater ials w ill damage the m ate rial in
the exhaust ta il pipes if they a re not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
t he t ail pipes w ith w heel cleaner, p aint polish, chrome po lish or o ther
abrasive cleaners. C lean the tail pipes with car care products that are
sui table for sta inless s teel.
~

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Your authorized Audi dealer can provide cleaning products that have
bee n tested and approved for your veh icle. •
Care of interior
MMI display
- Clean the MMI display with a soft clean cloth and an LCD
cleaner .
The MMI display can be cleaned with a professionally available "LCD
cleaner". The cloth should be slightly dampened with the cleaning
fluid to clean the d isp lay .
0 Not e
To avoid scratching the MMI display, you should never clean it dry. •
MMI control console
- First clean the MMI control console with a brush to
remove dust from the housing.
- Then wipe the MMI control console with a clean, soft,
slightly damp cloth.
T he MM I control console sho uld be cleaned w ith a brush first so that
no dirt is trapped between the buttons and the housing. We recom­
mend g iving the MMI contro l conso le a final w ipe with a cloth mois t­
ened w ith water and dish washing detergent.
0 Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no fluid ever gets into the MMI
control console .•
Safety first
Aluminum trim
Use only neut ral-pH products to remove spots and deposits from
al uminum surfaces. Ch rome care prod ucts and al kaline cleaners w ill
attack aluminum surfaces and can damage them over t ime .
& WARNING
Alw ay s re ad and heed all WARNING S and other information
~ page 2 60. •
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings (e .g . seats, door trim panels, etc.) should
be clean ed at regular interva ls with a vacuum cl eaner . T his removes
surfa ce di rt pa rt icl es which co uld become embedded in the fabr ic
through use . Steam cleaners should not be used, because the steam
tends to push the d irt deeper into the f abric and lock it there.
Norm al clean ing
Genera lly, we recommend using a soft sponge or a li nt-free
microfiber cloth to the clean fabric. Brushes should on ly be used for
ca rpets and floor mats , since other fab ric surfaces could be ha rmed
by brushes.
No rma l sur face sta ins can be cleaned us ing a commercially avai lab le
foam cleaner. Spread the foam on the surface of the fabr ic with a soft
sponge and work it in gently . Do not saturate the fabric. Then pat the
foam dry using absorbent , dry cloths (e .g. microfiber cloth) and
vacuum it after it has dried comp letely.
Clean ing stains
Sta ins caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit juice, etc.) can be
treated with a mild detergent solut ion. Apply the detergent solut ion
with a sponge . In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can
be applied directly to the stai n and worked into the fabric . After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the remaining .,.
Vehicle care Technical data

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detergent. Apply the water with a damp cloth o r sponge a nd pat the
fabr ic dr y wi th a n ab sorb ent , dr y clot h.
Sta ins from choco late or makeup should have dete rge nt paste (e.g.
ox -gall soap) ru bbed into them . Afterwards, remove t he soap w ith
w at er ( damp s ponge).
Alcoho l can be used to treat sta ins from grease , oil, lipstick or a ba ll­
po int p en. Melte d gre ase o r dye mus t be p atted o ff usi ng absorbe nt
material. It may be necessary to ret reat t he areas with detergent
paste a nd water .
In the case of ge nera l soili ng o f th e upholste ry an d cover mater ia l, we
recommend hiring a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean the
sea t cover s and o ther fab ric su rf a ces by sh am poo ing and s pray
extractio n.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~ page 260 .
(I) Tips
Ope n Velcro fasteners on yo ur clothing can damage the sea t cover.
Please make su re t hat Velc ro fasteners are closed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water to clean t hese
a reas. For pers iste nt dirt use a n Audi appr oved
solvent-free plas tic
cleaner /protectant.
& WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it harder for the airbag to deploy.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
modules with cleaning products that contain solvents.
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porous.
• Serious injuries can result if plastic parts come loose when the
airbag is deployed .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260.
0 Note
Cleaning agents contai ning solvents will attack the mate rial and can
c hange the w ay it behave s.•
App lies to vehicles: with na tural leather
Natural leather
A udi makes gre at effo rts to main tain the propert ies,
natura l loo k and f eel of inte rio r le a th er .
General
We offe r m any di fferen t types o f lea ther on ou r ve hicl es. Most are
differen t types of nappa leat her, which has a smooth s urface and
comes in va rious co lo rs .
Th e int ensity of the colo r de ter min es th e vi sual cha ra cte ris tic s an d
appea rance. If the s urface o f the leathe r has a typical natu ral look,
t hen the le a the r is a nappa lea ther tha t has bee n left in a relat ively
natura l condition. This leat he r offers partic ularly good comfort a nd
brea thes wel l. Fine veins, closed gr ains, insec t bit e s, sk in fol ds , and
subt le variations i n color rema in v isib le. These character ist ics demon­
stra te t hat the ma ter ia l is na tural.
N at ural nappa leat her i s not cov ered by a colo r finish.
It is therefor e
more sensitive to soiling and wea r, which is somethin g you need to ..,

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consider if childre n, animals or other factors might prove to be partic­
ularly hard on the leathe r.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by a colored fin ish layer
are more durable . This has a positive effect on the leath er's resistance
to wear and so iling in daily use. On the othe r hand, the typical charac­
teristics of natura l leathe r are barely or not apparent . However, this
does not mean that the leathe r itself is of infer io r quality.
C are and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of leather that Audi uses
and the ir unique p roperties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, so iling,
etc.), yo u will need to be somewhat ca refu l with these leat he rs , a nd
a certain type of care is required. For example, dark clothing mate­
r ials ca n disco lor leather seats (especially if such clothi ng is d amp and
was not dyed correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores, folds, and
seams can have an abrasive effect and c an damage the le athe r
surface as well as weaken seams .
The leather s houl d be cleaned regularly as needed . After having been
used for a relatively long time, your leather sea ts w ill acquire a rich
aged finis h. This is a characteristic of natura l leather and a sign of
true quality.
I n order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehicle, you sho uld fo llow the recommendations below :
0 Note
• To keep you r leather from b leaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunl ight for long periods of time . If you have to
leave t he veh icle parked outside for long pe riods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sunlig ht.
• Sharp objects on clothing, such as zippers, rivets or sha rp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
s u rface of the leather.
Safety first
(I] Tips
• After each time you clean the leathe r and at regular inte rvals , u se
a leather preservative creme that contains UV-blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme will nou rish and mo istur ize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay supp le. It also helps to build up
a p ro tect ive coa ting on the surfa ce.
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc. as soon as poss ible.
• Preserve the color of t he leather as needed by using a specia l
co lored leather ca re creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
Ap plies to vehi cles : w it h nat ural leat her
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
- Clean so iled areas wit h a slightly mois tened cotton or
woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
-More stubborn d irt can be removed using a clot h satu­
rated w ith a mild soap solution (2 ta blespoons m ild liq ui d
soap) .
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certa in that no water soaks i nto the seams .
- Wipe off the soap solution w ith a soft, dry c loth. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data

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Cleaning spots
- Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, b loo d) with a n absorben t cloth o r paper towel.
- R emove fresh
grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the clea ner from the leather care kit i f the
spot has not yet penetrated into t he s urface of the
leather.
- Use an oil/grease d isso lv ing spray, if
oil /grease spots
have dried on .
-Remove spec ific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt marker,
fingernai l polish , water-based paint, shoe polish, etc .)
with a spo t remover specifica lly formulated for leather.
Leather care
- Ever y hal f year us e an ap proved leat her car e prod uct
(avai lable fr om you r A udi dea ler) to care f or th e le ather.
- Ap ply t he produ ct very spari ngly .
- W ipe it off with a da mp cloth.
If yo u have any quest ions about cleaning and caring for the leathe r in
your ve hicl e, i t is best to con tact you r au thor ized Audi dealer, who w ill
be glad to help yo u and tell you about our fu ll range of leather care
prod ucts, such as:
• Leathe r cleaning and ca re k it
• Creams to ca re for colo red leather
• Spot removers for ba llpoint pens, shoe polish, etc .
• Oil/g rease disso lv in g sp ray
• New and upcoming pro ducts.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 260 .
0 Note
• N ever use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighte r fluid, turpentine), waxes,
shoe po lish or simi lar p roducts on the leathe r surfaces in your Aud i.
• T o avo id d amage, have st ubbor n st ains remove d by a commerc ial
cleaning specialist. •
Applie s to v eh icl es: with Alca ntara up hols ter y
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Removing dust and dirt
- Mois t en a clot h, squeez e out excess wat er a nd wipe down
the sea t surfaces .
Removing stains
-Mois te n a c loth wi th lukewarm water or wi th diluted ethyl
(rubbing) alcohol.
- Dab at t he stai n. S tart at the outside a nd wor k inwar ds.
- Once the sta in is no longer v isib le, use a soft dry cloth or
tissue to soak up t he m oisture .
Do not use leather cleanin g products on Alcantara.
You may use a s uit able sha m poo fo r remov ing dust and d irt.
Dust and grit i n the pores and seams ca n scratch and damage the
s u rface . If th e car is lef t stan ding in the s un for long periods, the
Alcan ta ra should be p rotected aga inst direct su nlight to preve nt i t
from fading . Slig ht co lor var iat ions wi ll deve lop in no rma l use and are
not a n in dicat ion of material dete rioration. .,_