2011 AUDI A6 ECO mode

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.
~

Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the operating and dr iv ing inst ructions
prov ided and use common sense .
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the tra iler ope ra­
tion mode =>
page 170, "Towing a tra iler". •
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying h itch co nform ing to the gross tra iler we ig ht.
The h itch must be suitab le for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mou nted securely o n th e vehi cle's ch assi s at a
techni cally sound loc a­
tion . Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ball mount. Always
check wit h the t railer h itch manufactu rer to make sure that yo u are
using the correct h itch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch mus t be installed in such a way t hat it does not in terfe re
w ith t he impact-absorb ing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to t
he veh icle exha ust and bra ke systems. From t ime to
time, check that a ll hitch mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
W hen you are no t tow in g a tra ile r, remove the t railer hit ch ball
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be str uck from behind=>& .
Trailer brakes
If your trail er is e quipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure t hat
it conforms to all regulations.
T he tra ile r hydrau lic brake system m ust not be directly connected to
t he vehicle's hyd raulic b rake sys tem .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check w ith your
Audi de aler fo r corr ec t wir ing , sw itches and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see t he t raff ic be hind you using t he regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must install extended mi rrors. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always ha ve clear vi sion to the re ar.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and inju re you
or your passengers. •

lffll __ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g ,.,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g:,_ __________________________________________ _
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it keeps the
engine from o ve rheat ing and it prote cts the engine from
free zing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and genera lly requ ires little attention .
Th e cooling system has been fi lled a t the factory w it h a permanent
coo lant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the man ufacturer's glycol-basedcoo lant add i­
tive Gl2++ a ntifreeze with ant i corrosion additives (50% for USA
mode ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This mixture bot h assures the
necessary frost protec tion and p rotects metal components i n the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and scaling . It a lso ra ises the
boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in the summer by
adding p lai n water . The proport ion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 % to maintain ant ifreeze protection
and coo ling efficiency. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low, the
coo lant co uld freeze and damage the veh icle heating and eng ine
cooling system .
For year-ro und d riving, antifreeze is added at t he factory for temper­
atures down to:
• - 31°F( -35°C)USA
• - 40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada .
You can mix the G12 ++ coo lant additive with other add it ives (G12 + or
G 12) . Always check with yo ur a utho rized Aud i dea ler .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 279.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coo lant additive in you r vehicle is s ufficient to meet the climate
condi tions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extreme ly cold. If necessary, increase the proport ion of
c oo lan t add it ive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coo lant add it ive G 12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle . This coolant additive is available at autho­
r ized A ud i deale rs. Othe r ty pes of antifreeze can s ignifica ntly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss o f coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to you r vehicle's
eng ine coolant. Adding rad iator repair fl uid may adversely affect the
function and performa nce of your coo ling system and could resu lt in
d a mage not covered by your New Vehicle Limi ted W arranty. •
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 211 En gine
compa rtm ent : C oolant
ex pa nsio n tank ..

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '-- ........
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The b rake f lu id l eve l can be checke d wit h a qui ck g lanc e.
Fig . 212 E ngine
compartment : Br ake
fluid re se rv o ir
Before you c heck a nythi ng in the eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngi ne comp art ment" on
page 279.
- Read t he bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 289, fig . 212. The brake flu id level must be
between the " MIN" and " MAX" mar kings.
The brake fluid reservoir is locate d at the rear pa rtition of the engine
compartmen t on the left s ide=>
page 280 .
The f luid leve l may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto ­
m atic a dju stment of t he b rake pads. This is not c ause for ala rm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be low the "M IN" mark, the
brake warni ng/ind icator light (U .S. models :
BRAKE, Canadia n mo dels:
(0) ) will come on=> page 18 and=> page 26. Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system sho uld be thoroug hly
chec ked by an au thor ized A ud i d eale r or othe r qualified fac ility and
the cause corrected.
If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
Vehicle OP-eration
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contact an au thoriz ed Aud i
de aler
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e the b rake fluid chang ed by an expe rie nc ed t echni ­
CJ an.
B ra ke flui d abso rb s moi stur e from the air. If the wa te r c on ten t in t he
brake fl uid is too high, corros ion in the b rake system may res ult after
a pe riod of time. The boili ng po int of the brak e flu id will also decrea se
co nsiderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
Th erefore, the brake f lui d m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4" .
Th e br ake f luid reserv oir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed
Audi dealer . Your deal er h as th e correc t tools, the rig ht bra ke flui d
and the know-how to do th is for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake
failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Alway s check
with you r authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corre ct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid rese rvoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
c ause a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 o ccupants ), you can adjust tire pre ssures to
those specified for normal vehicle load . Before operating the
vehicle at maximum load, you must inc rease the tire pressures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load
=> & .
Bear in mind that the tire press ure monitoring system* can on ly
m oni tor the tire pressu res you have sto red . The system does no t
recogn ize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
T he effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system * w ill be
impaired if you store norma l load p ressu res b ut the n operate th e
vehicle at its maxim um loa d=> & .
Tire designation
See the illustration=> fig. 216 for the locat ion of the labe l on dr iver's
side B-p illar (colo r of the actu al labe l and ex act loc ation o n the
veh icle will vary slight ly) .
N ote that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and i s su bje ct to change. I n the even t of discrepancie s, t he tire pres­
sure label is located on the driver's side B-pillar always takes prece­
de nce.
The table below lists the recommended co ld tire inf lation pressures
fo r the Audi mode l covered by your Owner 's Literat ure at the vehicle's
capacity weight and t he tire sizes installed on the respective mode ls
as o rigina l equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
Engine
(displace­
ment in liter) normal load
normal load
6-cylinder
3.0
6-cylinder
3 .2
245 /45 Rl 7 99H XL All Season
245 /40 R18 97H XL All Season
245/40 R18 97Y XL High Performance
255 /35 R19 96Y XL High Performance
245/ 45 Rl 7 99 H XL All Season
245 /40 R18 97H XL All Season
245 /40 R18 97Y XL High Performance
255 /35 R19 96Y XL High Performance
condition (up
to 3 occu- pants)
PSI
35
38
3 5 24 0
39 270
33 230
36
33
39
full load
condition
PSI kPA
38 260
41 280
3 5 260
44 300
36 250
39 270
36 250
44 300
condition (up
full load
to 3 occu- condition
pants)
PSI kPA kPA
32 220 270
35 240 42
290
3 2 220 38 260
33 230 45 310
30 210 36 250
33 230 39 270
30 210 36 250
33 230 45
310

-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
(j)
®
®
@
@
U.S . DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used Ma ximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades M axi mum pe rmissib le inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design . The tires
and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the characteris­
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
~ & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended proce­
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech­
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni­
toring system* ~
page 314.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifications
as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the original equip ­
ment or approved optional tires listed in the table~
page 299.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. The table
(~ page 299) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located on driver's side B-pillar (~
page 299,
fig. 217) lists the specifications of the original equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewall of all tires~
page 307, fig. 220 . This infor­
mation identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires . Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for example:
P245 / 45 R 17 99 H XL
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
245 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction : Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF") indicates that the tire is a"Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation
~page 295.

Tires and wheels -________________ Effll
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chain s are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instructions provi ded by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• Wh en driving with snow cha in s never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before d riving on roads not cove red w it h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wearing t he snow chains down
unnecessar ily.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact wi th the wheel rim,
can scratch or damage it. The refore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos it ion o f the snow cha ins afte r
driving a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instructions
from t he snow chain man ufacturer when doing so .
• If the Adaptive A ir Suspension* sho uld ma lfunct ion, do no t mount
or use snow cha ins because t he ve hicle will be ex tremely low . If you
do drive w ith snow chains o n while the veh icle is at t his level, the
snow c hains m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other parts
o f the ve hicl e.
[I) Tips
W he re snow c ha ins a re mandato ry on certain ro ads, this no rm ally
also applies to ve hicles with A ll W hee l Dr ive. •
Safety first
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts mus t alwa ys be tigh tened to the co rrect
torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
differe nt rims a re fitte d, the correc t wheel bolt s wi th the r ig ht length
and co rrectly s haped bolt heads must be used. Th is ensures that
w heels are fitte d se cu rely and that the br ake system fun ctions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, yo u may not use wheel bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model~
page 348.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or ma intained wheel bolts can become
loose causing los s of control, a collision and seriou s per sonal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the thread s in the wheel hub s
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled , even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle .
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque i s too h igh, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified tor que fo r th e wheel bolt s i s 90 ft lb (120 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diagonally. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

___ T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
have been thoroughly tested and been selected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road feel and handling under a
variety of driving conditions. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of
55 or
less
in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio of
the tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width expressed in
percentage. Conventional tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip=>
page 302, "Checking tire pressure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easily by impact with
potholes, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact damage to the tires of
your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures. Check your
tire pressure every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary.
• Drive carefully on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges. The
impact from driving through or over such obstacles can damage your
tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires. •
After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible.
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, which could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possible.
• These tires may wear more quickly than others.
• Please also remember that, while these tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra
high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling.
They are not suitable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If you
drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with
all-season or winter tires, which offer better traction under those
conditions. We suggest you use the recommended snow or all-season
tires specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to=>
page 311 for more detailed information regarding winter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monitoring system
General notes '
Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked
monthly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size .,