2011 AUDI A6 weight

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 . ._

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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused
parts of a motor vehicle.
T ir es may be the least appreciated and most abused pa rts of a motor
vehicle . Tires are, however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle , pa rticul arly conside ring the comparat ive ly small patch of
rubber on eac h tire that assures that all-important contact between
you, your veh icle and the road.
Maintai ning t he cor rect tire pressu re, mak ing su re that your veh icle
and i ts tires do not have to carry more weight t han they can safely
hand le, avoid ing damage from road ha za rds and regularly inspecting
tires for damage includ ing cuts, s lashes irregular wea r and ove rall
condi tion a re the mos t important th ings that you can do to help avoid
sudden t ire failure including tread separation and blowouts.
Avoiding damage
If you have to d rive ove r a cur b or sim ilar obstacle, d rive very slowly
and as close as possible at a rig ht angle to the curb .
Always keep chemicals incl ud ing grease, oil, gaso line and brake f luid
o ff t he t ires .
Ins pect the ti res regularly for damage (cu ts, cracks o r blisters, e tc.) .
Remove any foreign bodies embe dded in the treads.
Storing tires
M ark tires w hen yo u remove t hem to indica te t he d ire ct io n of rota ­
tion . This ensures you to be ab le to mount them correctly when you
re insta ll them.
Whe n removed, t he wheels or tires should be sto red in a cool, dry and
preferably da rk p lace.
Safety first
Store tires in a v ertica l pos it io n if they a re not mount ed on rims, in a
hor izonta l posit ion if they are mounted on r ims.
New tires
N ew tires have to be broken in~ & .
Th e tre ad d epth of new ti res may v ary, accor ding t o th e type an d
make of t ire and the tread pattern .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is often not readi ly visible. If yo u notice
unu sual vib ra ti on o r the ve hicle pulls to one side, t his may in dica te
that one of the t ires has been damaged. The tires must be checked
im media tely by an auth oriz ed A ud i d eale r or qual ifie d wor ks hop.
Unidirectional tires
A un id irectional tire can be identified by arrows o n th e sidewall , th at
point in the direct ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must fo llow
t he s peci fied dire ction o f ro tat io n . This is neces sary so t hat t hese
tires can deve lop their optimum cha racte ristics regard ing g rip, road
noise, we ar an d hy dropl aning res ist an ce. F o r more informat ion
~page 325 .
& WARNING
New tires or tires that are old , worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. To reduce
the risk of losing control, a collision and serious personal injuries, dri ve with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km).
• Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control,
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately. _..
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_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 .

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Groove
means the spa ce between two ad jacen t tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
mea ns the max imu m load th at a tir e is ra te d to c arry fo r a give n infla­
tion pressure. You may not find this information on all t ires beca use
i t is no t required by law .
Maximum load rat ing
me ans the load r ati ng for a t ire at th e maxi mum p ermis sib le in flation
pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weig ht
(c) Vehicle ca pacity we ight, and
(d) Pro duct ion op tions weigh t
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the m aximu m cold infla tio n pr essur e to whi ch a t ire may be
inflated . Also called "maximum inflat ion press ure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilog rams) times t he num ber of occupants seate d
in t he vehi cle up to the total sea ting cap aci ty of yo ur vehicl e.
Occupant distribution
means d is tribut ion of occ upan ts i n a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the ove rall d iameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance betwee n the exter iors of the s idewalls of
a n in flated tire, in cludi ng eleva tions due to la beling, dec ora tions, o r
protective bands or ribs.
Safety first
Ply
means a layer o f rubbe r-coate d para llel co rds.
Production options we ight
me ans the co m bine d we ight of tho se in stalled regu lar pr oduction
options weighi ng over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of t hose standard
i t ems w hic h they replace, not previously considere d in c urb we igh t o r
accessory weight, includ ing heavy duty brakes , ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and s pecial tr im.
Radial ply tire
me ans a pneuma tic tir e in wh ich the pl y cords that extend to t he
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
t rea d.
Recommended inflation pressure
see => page 296, "C old tire in fla tion pr essu re".
Reinforced tire
mea ns a t ire designe d to ope rate at hig her loads an d at higher infla­
tion pressures than the co rresponding standard ti re. Reinforced t ires
my be i de ntified as "X L" , "xi", "EX TRA LOA D", o r "RF " on the sidewall.
Rim
mea ns a metal suppo rt fo r a tire or a tire and tube assemb ly up on
wh ic h the t ire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat . If you change yo ur whee l
si ze, yo u w ill have to purchase new tires to ma tc h the new r im diam­
eter .
Rim size designation
means r im diamete r and width.
Rim width
mea ns nom inal dis tance be twee n rim flanges.
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for extended
periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to 186
mph (298 km/h) =>
page 309. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is mo lded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the maximum permissible road speeds=>
& in
"Winter tires" on
page 311.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
unde rinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te lltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the princ ipal grooves designed to give a
visual ind ication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 306,
"Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire informat ion system developed by the United States National
H ighway Traff ic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buye rs make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is not
a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of miles or perform in a certain way. It simply gives tire
buyers additional information to comb ine with other considerations,
such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommendations. Under
UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three areas: treadwear
, traction and temperature resistance. The UTQG informa­
tion on the tires, molded into the sidewa lls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "ser ial number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters ind icate the plant where it was manufactu red, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For examp le,
DOT ... 2210 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2010. The
o ther numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the t ire manufacturer. Th is informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and l uggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle 's total seating capacity as listed on the label located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by dist rib­
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is determined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and
normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table below
=>
page 299) and dividing by two. .,_

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Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seat ing capacities
Designated seating capacity, num- Vehicle normal load, number of Occupant distribution in a nor­
mally loaded vehicle
ber
of occupants occupants
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Co ld tire inf lation pressure
Tire pr essur e affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle .
Fig. 216 Tire pressure
label : lo cated o n
dr iver 's sid e B·pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to t he amo unt of a ir i n a tire tha t it
needs it to do its job and safe ly carry the comb ined load of t he entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire p ressure is measured in kilopasca ls
(kPa), the inte rnationa l measur ing unit and in poun ds per squar e in ch
(PSI). Tire press ure is based in part on the ve hicle 's design and load
limit -the greatest a mount of weight that the vehi cle can c arry safe ly
and the tire s ize. The proper tire pressure is frequently refer red to as
the "re commen ded cold t ire inflation p ressure. " Air in t he tires
expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction when it
flexes in use. T he tire press ure is hig her w hen the tir e h as warme d up
than whe n it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
c o unts. The refo re, you sho uld never let air o ut of a warm t ire to
match "cold ti re inflation pressure " recommendations . The t ires
wou ld then be under in flated and could fail s uddenly.
------------------.. ,::
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INFORMATION
VOIR U MANUEL DU PROJl'RIETAIRE
POUR PLUS OE
RENS£1Gf\1£MENTS Fig . 217 Tire pre ssur e
label
Ma intain ing prope r tire pressure is one o f the most importa nt things
you can do to he lp avoid sudde n tir e fa il u re . Under inflated tires are a
majo r ca use of sudden tire fa ilure . Keeping t ires at the rig ht pressure
is a lso important for safe and responsive vehicl e ha nd ling , traction,
braki ng an d load ca rryi ng.
Tire pressures are particularly impo rtant
when the vehicle is being driven at higher speed s, and then espe·
cially when heav ily loaded even within the permissible load ·
carrying capacities approved for your vehicle .
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind of
t ires on your vehicle and the num be r of passengers and/or amou nt o f
luggage you will be tra nspo rt ing .
The t ire pressure labe l is located on t he dr iver's side B-pilla r. The tire
pressure labe l lists th e recommended cold tire inflat ion p ress ures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and t ires t hat were on
•
your vehicle at the time it was manu fact ured. _,,,
Vehicle OP-eration Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical 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