2011 AUDI A6 Capacity

The maxim um permiss ible roof we ight is 220 lb (100 kg). T he roof
we ight is mad e up of the wei ght of th e ro of ra ck sy stem and the
we ight of the ob ject b eing trans ported .
Wh en usin g a roof rack system whic h has a lower load carry ing
capac it y, you mus t not use up the t otal ma ximum permi ssible load
carrying ca pac ity spe cified above. Instead, you s hould lo ad t he roof
r ack s yst em o nly to t he ma ximum c apacity speci fied by the man ufa c­
turer of the roof rack system.
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to the
roof rack can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
• Make
sure the roof rack is installed exactly as specified above
=> page 88.
• Always use suitable mounting straps for securing items to the
roof rack to help prevent items from shifting or flying forward.
• Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted.
• The use of a roof rack can negatively affect the way a vehicle
handles . Cargo that is large, heavy, bulky , long or flat will have a
greater negative influence on the vehicle's aerodynamics , center
of gravity and overall handling. Always drive slowly, avoid sudden
braking and maneuvers when transporting cargo on the roof of
your vehicle.
• Never exceed the maximum permissible load carrying capacity
of the roof of your vehicle, the permissible axle weights and the
permissible total weight of your vehicle=>
page 341, "Weights ".
• Always drive slowly, avoid sudden braking and maneuvers
when transporting cargo on the roof of your vehicle.
'£> For the sake of the environment
Some times i t may be eas ie r t o le ave a roof ra ck in sta lled even though
you a re not using i t. Due to th e increased air resistanc e your veh icle
Con trol s and equ ip­
m ent Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
will unnecessa rily use more f ue l. Remove t he roo f rack if you a re not
g oing to use it. •
Cupholder
Cupholder in center console
The c up hold er is located un der a co ve r.
.. .. . .
' .
' '
' .
. . . . ' '
'
' . '
'
'
' . ' '
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.. . ' . ' ' . ..
'• N ' • Lil : : ~ : : tL : : ~ ' • a,
.. . .
' . "' '. 0 : : ~ : : tL '' ... : : G:l
' ' . '
'
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Fig. 82 Center
co nso le: (upholder
Fig . 83 Cente r
c on sole: Adap ter for
c upholder
- To open the c upholde r, p re ss the fo rward e dge of th e
cove r.
- Ins ert or re mov e the ada pter in to th e cu phold er, a s ne ces-
s ar y. .,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

________________________________________________ D_ r_ i_ v _i_n ""'g "-- S_a_ f_ e_ l _,,y'-- __
the dr iver's side 8-p illar (v isib le when the door is open). The tire pres­
s u re label lists t he recommen d end cold t ire infl ation pressures fo r
the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and t he tires that were on
yo ur vehicle at the time it was ma nufact ured. For recommended ti re
pressures for normal load cond it ions, please see chapter
=> page 299. •
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equi pped with f our tie­
downs to secur e luggage and other items.
Use the t ie-downs to sec ure yo ur cargo prope rly => page 183,
"Load ing the luggage compartment" .
In a co llision, the laws of physics mean that even sma ller items that
are loose i n the vehicle will become heavy m issiles t hat can c ause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess energy wh ich vary w ith
vehicle speed and the we igh t o f the i tem. Vehi cle spee d is t he m ost
significant factor.
For examp le, in a frontal coll ision at a spee d of 30 mph (48 km/h),
the forces acting on a 10- lb (4 .5 kg) object are abo ut 20 times the
normal weight of the item . T his means that t he weight of t he item
wou ld s uddenly be abo ut 200 lbs. (90 kg). You can imagine the inju­
r ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying free ly throug h the passenge r
c ompa rtmen t cou ld cause in a collision lik e this.
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used to secure items to tie­
downs can fail during hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury .
• Always use suitable mounting strap s and prope rly secure items
to the tie -downs in the luggage compartment to help prevent
items from shifting or flying forward as dangerous missiles.
• When the rear seat backrest is folded down, always use suit­
able mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
in the luggage compartment to help prevent items from flying
forward as dangerous missil es into the passenger compartment.
• Never attach a child safety seat tether strap to a tie -down. •
Reporting Safety Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you belie ve that your veh icle has a defect
which could cause a crash or could cause injury
or death , you should immediately inform the
National Highway Traffic Safety Admini stration
(NHTSA) in addition to notifying Audi of
America, Inc.
If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may
open an investig ation, and if it find s that a
safety d efe cts exist s in a group of vehicle s, it
ma y order a rec all and remedy campaign.
However , NHTSA cannot become involved in
individual problems between you , your dealer,
or Audi of America , Inc.
To contact NHTSA , you may call th e Vehicle
Safety Hotline toll-free at:
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153)
or write to:
Administrator
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieva l after an accident or crash event. ED R's are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED R's that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic contro l modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu­
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down­
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
l, I
Fig. 201 Center
console with ESP
switch
ESP is des igned to help you maintain vehicle control in s ituations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when accel­
erat ing and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidd ing and imp roves
stability under all road conditions.
Th e system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec­
tronic stabilizatio n pro gram. In addition to the data provided by
these funct ions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­
ment data provided by high performance sensors. The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the ...

_________________________________________ 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

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi­
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is­
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor­
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can still open the flap
manually- for detailed instructions see~
page 277.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your vehicle in
Technical Data
~page 343.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your ve hicle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
~page 273.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refue lling vapor recovery
system. This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment wh ile you refuel your veh icle . ..,_

-L~C~ h~ e~c ~k :..!_i ~ n ~g ~ a~n ~d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g[_ ________________________________________ _
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level checked by
a service facility. The electrolyte level should also be checked each
time the battery is charged~
page 292.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of a irbag deployment, the battery is disconnected
from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 211.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected aga in. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your veh icle over a period of severa l days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period~
page 249.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func­
tions will be available again when you turn on the ign ition and start
the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, particu larly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter sets in
=> page 292. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longe r.
(I] Tips
If your veh icle is left standing for several weeks at extreme ly low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced.•

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifications and
dimensions as the original equipment battery.
Inte lligent energy management in your veh icle is responsible for
dis trib uti ng the elect ric al ene rgy throughout yo ur vehi cle
::} page 249. The intelligent energy management system will keep
t he e ngine battery charged be tter then vehicles withou t this system.
To make sure the additional e lectrical energy is available once again
after you have changed the ba tte ry, we recom mend that you in sta ll
batter ies of the same type and manufacture only (the same as those
installed at the t ime your vehicle was delivered). Specifications are
listed on the battery hous ing. You r authorized dealer must code the
battery in t he energy ma nageme nt system to enab le yo u to use the
energy management functions corre ct ly aft er replac ing the battery.
If it is not poss ible to use a battery of this type, the new battery must
have the same capacity, vo ltage ( 12 volts), ampe rage, co nstr uction
and plug sea ling.
When install ing the battery, make sure the ign it ion and a ll electrica l
c ons umers are tur ned off.
0 Note
Make s ure the ventilation hose on the sid e of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid ca n leak o ut.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Beca use of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
me nd your authorized Audi de aler change the ba ttery for you.
Batte ries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be d isposed
o f prope rly in com pliance wi th all environmen tal regula tions.
Disposing of vehicle batteries imprope rly is very dangerous to the
envi ro n ment .•
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Fig. 215 En gine
compartm ent: Wind­
s hie ld and head lig ht *
w as her flu id co ntainer
Th e washe r fluid contain er is mark ed with the symb ol O on
its cap .
- Bef ore you check anything i n th e engin e compartm ent,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in th e e ngine com partme nt" on
page 279 .
-Lift t he filler cap tongue to add washe r fluid. You can fill
the conta iner to the top.
- Press the cap bac k onto the f iller neck af ter filling the
container .
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in::} page 343.
To preven t lime res idue from bui ldi ng up on t he spray jets, use
distilled water when refilling. Always add a glass cleane r so lution
(with frost protection in t he winter).
0 Note
Do not mix engine coo lant antifreeze or any othe r additives to fi ll up
the windsh ield washe r rese rvo ir .•

-~_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 .