2011 AUDI A6 steering

___ A_ i_r _b _a _, g,:;._ s_, y._ s _ t_e _m ________________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
• Airbag work mo st effectivel y when us ed with p roperly worn
safety belts .
• Therefore, always wear your safety belts and make sure that
everybody in your veh icle is properly restrained .
& WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat , especially infants and small
c hildren, will receive seriou s injuries and can even be killed by
being too close to the a irbag when it inflates.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front passenger a irbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger seat, nobody can absolutely
guarantee that deployment under these special conditions is
impossible in all conceivable situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
• The Advanced Airbag System can deploy in a ccordance with the
" low risk" option under the U.S. Federal Standard if a child that is
hea vier than the t ypical one-year old child is on the front
passeng er seat and the other condition s for airbag deployment
are met.
• Accident statistics have shown that children are generally safer
in the rear seat area than in the front seating position .
• For their own safety, all children , especially 12 years and
younger, should always ride in the back properly res trained for
their age and size. •
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced Airbag System in
compliance wit h Unit ed St ates Fe d er al Motor Vehi cle Safe ty Standar d
208 as applicab le at the time your vehicle was manufactured . The front Advanced A
irbag System supplements the safety belts to
prov ide ad ditional prote ct ion for th e d river's and front passenger's
heads and uppe r bodies in fro nta l crashes. The ai rbags i nflate only in
fronta l impacts when the vehicle dece leration is high enoug h.
Th e front Adva nced A irbag Sys tem for the fron t seat oc cupan ts is not
a s ubstitute for your safety be lts. Rathe r, it is part o f the overall occu­
p an t restr aint sy stem in y our ve hicl e. Always remembe r that the
airbag system ca n only help to protect you, if you are sitting upr ight,
we aring your sa fe ty be lt and we aring it prope rly. T his is why you and
your passengers must always be properly restra ined, not just because
t he law requires you to be.
Th e A dvan ced A irbag Syst em in your veh icle has been c ertified to
meet the "low r isk" req uir ements fo r 3 an d 6 year-old c hildren on the
pas senge r side and ve ry small ad ults o n the dr ive r side. T he low r is k
dep loyment cr iteria a re intended to help reduce the risk of injury
t hroug h in teraction wi th the front a irbag tha t can oc cur, fo r ex am ple,
by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument panel whe n
t he air bag i nflates .
In add it ion , the system has been cert ified to comply with t he
"supp ression" requirements of the Safety Standa rd, to t urn off the
front airbag for infants 12 mont hs old and young er w ho are
restrained on the front passenger seat in child restra ints that are
listed in the Standard=>
pag e 221, "Child restra ints and A dvan ced
Airbags".
"Su pp ression" req uires t he front a irbag on the passenger side to be
t ur ned off if:
• a child up to about one year of age is restra ined on the front
passenge r seat in one of t he rear-faci ng or forwa rd-facing infant
restraints listed in Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w it h
w hich the Adv anced Airbag Sys tem in yo ur vehicle w as ce rt ified. Fo r a
list ing of the child restra ints that were used to certify your vehicle's
c omp li a nce with the US Safety Stand ard =>
page 22 1,
• weight less than a thresho ld level stored in the contro l unit is
detec ted on t he fro nt p assenger se at.

Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A tight tether o r other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front pa ssenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight -sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat . The heavier weight regi stered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it mu st be suppre ssed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If , in exceptional circumstanc es, you must install a forward­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat' s fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transporting anyone on the front passenger seat.
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight-sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
em pty seat , the front airbag on the passenge r side will be t urne d off,
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are
insta lled at many different places on
your Audi . Ins tall ing, remov ing, serv icing o r rep airi ng a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle ca n damage a part of a n airbag system and prevent
t ha t sys tem from working prope rly in a coll is io n.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
dis ca rded compo nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nvir on­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , serv icing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . Solvent s or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly.
• Never repair, adjust, or change any part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip­
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who has the training and special equip­ ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body . ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' '----'----
fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example , when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate wheel to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces acting on the wheel during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are mainly applied on the wheel that is on the
outside of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied at the rear
wheel that is on the inside of the curve. An acoustic signal indicates
when ESP brake application cuts in =>
&.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system=>
page 246. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test . As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
You can activate a deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
by pressing the=>
page 242, fig. 201 button. When they are acti­
vated, the message
ESP/ASR on appears briefly in the display .
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated all the time. If necessary , you
can deactivate Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Electronic Stabiliza­
tion Program (ESP) by pressing the button =>
page 242, fig. 201.
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the but ton . In certain excep tional situa­
tions (e.g. driving with tire chains) , the Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) can
be deactivated=>
page 244 . The message ASR off appears in the
display as well.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation •
Deactivating ESP/ASR
Press the button for more than 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
=>
page 14. The message ESP switched off appears in the display as
well.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the laws of physics. It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differential lock (EDL) helps the car to start moving,
accelerate and climb a gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no grip . Without EDL, this would be difficult, if not impossible .
How the system works
The EDL operates automatically . It monitors the rotational speed of
the drive wheels on an axle with the help of the ABS sensors
=>
page 246 . If a noticeable difference in rotational speed between
the drive wheels on one axle is detected (e.g. on slippery ground
on
one side),
the spinning wheel is braked, thereby transferring power to
the othe r drive wheel or wheels (all-wheel drive). This is done up to a
speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h) . Noises from the brake system
signal that wheel spin is being controlled.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' '----'----
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),

Operating instructions
Max imum tr aile r weight
A trai ler for your vehicle is lim ited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trail er lo ad di stribut ion
Be sure the load in the t ra iler is held secu rely in place to prevent it
from shift ing forward, backward or sideways.
N ev er a llow a pa ssenge r to ride in a traile r=>
& in "Driving instr uc­
tions".
Eng ine c ooling s ystem
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system 's performance is up to the addi tional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pre ssur e
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your veh icle to the co ld tire
pressu re listed under "Full load" on the label located on the d river's
side 8 -pillar (visible when the door is open) . Inflate traile r tires to
t rai ler and tire manufacture rs' specificat io n s.
Light s
The headl ight sett ings shou ld be checked with the tr ailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chain s
Be sure traile r safety cha ins are p roperly connected from the trai ler
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to perm it
tu rning corners. When you install sa fe ty cha ins, make s ure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trai ler tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the h itch .
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
0 Note
If you are going to tow a t
railer, you must activate the tra iler opera­
tion mode =>
page 170, "T owing a trai ler" .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires e xtra care and
consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehic le and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other veh icles .
- Observe speed limits .
- Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early .
- Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribut ion
T owing a loaded tra iler w ith an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution of we ight . If this cannot be avoided, d rive at very low
speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" r ig is easier to operate and control. This means that the
t ow ve hicle sho uld be loaded to the exte nt poss ible and permissib le,
wh ile keeping the tra iler as light as poss ible under the circumstances.
Whenever poss ible, tra nsfer some cargo to the l uggage compart ­
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle load ing considerations .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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 . ._

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Tire s age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in excess of those sta nda rd items which
may be rep lace d) of automatic transmission, power steering, power
bra kes, powe r w indows , power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent
that these items are avai lab le as factory- installed equipment
(w het he r i nsta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
me ans the ratio of t he he ight to t he w id th of the tir e in percent .
Numbe rs of 55 o r lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
respo nse an d be tter overa ll handling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part o f the tire that is made of stee l w ires , wrap ped o r
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bon d between components in the bead .
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the tire.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous hi story ." Old used tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and lo ss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unu sual vibration or if the vehicle pull s to one side
when driving, alway s stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage. •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle ma nufa cturer
for a tire of a des ignated size t hat has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree ho ur period
before the tire pressure is measured or ad justed.
Curb weight
mea ns the weig ht of a motor vehicle wit h standard equ ipment
including the max imum cap aci ty of f ue l, oil, and coo lan t, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire designe d to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
t ion p ressures than the co rrespo nd ing standard t ire. Ext ra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load -ca rry ing capacity of a s ingle ax le system, measured at
t he t ire-grou nd inte rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded we ight of the vehicle .