2011 AUDI A6 tow

Table of contents
Table of contents
Vehicle literature ..... .
About this Owner's Manual .......... ....... .. .
Controls and
equipment .............. .
Instruments and controls ... .
General illustration ........... .
Instruments and
warning/indicator Lights ..... . Instruments ... ... .......... .
Warning/indicator ligh ts ..... . .
Driver information display ... .
Introduction ...... ......... . .
On-Board Diagno stic sy ste m
(OBD) . ..... ....... .......... .
Auto Ch eck Control ........... .
Speed warning system ........ .
Tr ip computer ............ ... .
Opening and closing ......... . Keys ............ ............ .
Power locking system
Rear lid .... ..... ............ .
Child safety Lock ............. .
Convenience key ............. .
Anti-theft alarm sys tem ...... .
Power windows .............. .
Sliding/tilting power sunroof .. .
Clear vision .. .... ............ .
L ights ... .. ........ ......... .
Interior ligh ts ... ... .. ....... .
4
5
6
7
7
8
8
12
19
19
23
24
32
34
37
3 7
41
46
47
47
49
so
53
58
58
63 Vi
sion .................... .. .
Wiper and washer system Mirrors ... ............... ... .
Digital compass ............ .
Seats and storage ........ ... .
General recommendations .... .
Power seat . ................. .
S eat m emory ............... . .
Rear sea ts ... ... .. .......... .
Head res train ts ........... ... .
Armrest .. .. ................ .
Luggage compar tm en t ..... .. .
Roof ra ck . .... .... .......... .
Cupholder .................. .
Ashtray .. ................... .
Cigarette Lighter/socket ...... .
S torag e ................ .. .. .
Warm and cold .... .......... .
Cl imate control ........ .. .... .
Ba sic se tt ings ............... .
On the road ... .... .......... .
S tee ring .................... .
Igni tion lock and ignition swi tch
Start ing and stopp ing the engine
Start ing and stopping the engine
with Convenience key ......... .
E lectromechanical parking brake
Cru ise control ............... .
Adaptive Cruise Control ..... . Speed and distance con trol
sys tem .............. ....... .
Dr iver information ........... .
Syst em Limitations ........... .
Audi Lane assist .......... .. .
Lane ass ist .... .. ............ . 64
66
69
73
75
75
76
79
80
81
82
83
87
89
91
92
93
96
96
104
106
106
108
109
110
113
116
119
119
12 7
131
134
134 Audi
side assist ............... 137
Lane Change Assistant ......... 137
No tes ....... .... ............. 144
Automatic transmission 146
tiptronic ® (6-sp eed au toma tic
tr ansmission) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
multitronic ® ............ ...... 152
Park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Park ing sys tem ......... .... .. . 160
Park ing syst em (r ear) . . . . . . . . . . 160
Park ing sy ste m (r ear, w ith r ear
view camera) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Adaptive Air Suspension . . . . . . 168
Adap tive Air Suspens ion and
Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 168
Homelink ® ............. .... .. 171
Universal remote control 171
Safety first . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6
Driving Safely ................. 176
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Proper occupant seating
posi tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 8
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Stowing Luggag e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Reporting Safe ty Defe cts . . . . . . . 185
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
G eneral not es ................. 187
Why safe ty be lt s ? ........... .. 188
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Safe ty belt pretensio ners . . . . . . . 195

Airbag system ................ 197
Important things to know ...... 197
Front airbags ......... ........ 201
Monitoring the Advanced A irbag
System ...................... 208
Side airbags .................. 213
Side curtain a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Child Safety ................... 219
Impor tant things to know ..... .
Child safety seats ............ .
Installing a child safety seat ... .
LATCH Lowe r anchorages and
tethers for children ........... .
Add it ional Informat ion 219
224
229
232
239
Vehicle operation
...... 24 2
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 242
Notice abou t data recorded by
vehicle control modules . . . . . . . . 242
E lectronic Stab iliza tion Program
(ESP) ........................ 242
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Servo tronic® -advanced power
steering system .......... ..... 247
Driving with your quattro® . . . . . . 248
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . 249
Driving and environment ...... 251
T he first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards . ............. . 251
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . 252
Driving through water on roads . 252
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
Operate your veh icle econom ically
and minimize pollution . . . . . . . . . 253
Trailer towing ................. 256
Driving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . 256
T railer towing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
Vehicle care
.............. 260
Cleaning and protection ...... 260
General informa tion . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Care of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ..........................
273
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Fuel tank ..................... 274
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Engine cooling system . . . . . . . . . 286
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Windshield/headlight washer container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
T ires ........................ 295
T ire pressure monitoring system 314
Do-it-yourself service . 318
What do I do now? ........... 318
T runk escape handle ........... 318
Jack, tools and spare wheel ..... 318
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327
E lectrical fuses ............... 327
Bulbs ........................ 330
Emergency situations . . . . . . . . . 332
General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Starting by pushing or towing 332
Starting with jumper cables . . . . 332
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . 333
Table of contents
Eme rgency towing with
commercial tow truck ........ .
Lift ing vehicle ............... .
Technical data
General information
Explanation of technic al data .. .
Vehicle ident ification ......... .
Weights ................... . .
Dimensions ............... .. .
Data ......................... .
300 hp, 3.0 lite r, 6-cylinder
engine .................... .. .
265 hp, 3.2 liter , 6-cylinder
engine .. .......... .......... .
350 hp, 4.2 liter, 8-cylinder
engine ...... .............. .. .
Consumer Information ...... .
Warranty coverages .......... .
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S.A. or Canada ............. .
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Li terature ................... .
Maintenance ........... ..... .
Additional accessories, modifications and parts
replacement ............... . .
Declaration of Compliance,
Telecommun ications and
E lectronic Systems .......... . .
Alphabetical index ... .
335
337
340
340
340
340
341
341
343
343
344
345
346
346
346
346
346
348
349
3S2
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driver information display
Engine oil pressure malfunction
~
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil-pres­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine .
If the "t=:;r: symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CHECK] button :
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
Immediate actions
-Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check the engine oil level with the dipstick=> page 283.
Dipstick readings checks too low
- Top off oil to the proper level=> page 284 .
Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol "t=:;r:
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again.
Dipstick reading checks OK
- If the oil pressure warning symbol "t=:;r: starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
W Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol 't=1: is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip.
• The yellow oil level warning indication "" requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
't=1: starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning -. By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the i symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic steering column lock . An additional driver
message can also be displayed by pressing the [
CHECK ]
button:
Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
-Contact your nearest authorized repair facility.
- Do
not tow your vehicle .
& WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event of a malfunction in
the electronic steering column lock because it cannot be steered due to the locked steering. If it is towed with the steering locked,
there is the risk of an accident. •

Clear vision
Clear vision
Lights
Switching the headlights on and off ·"ti-·
In the "AUTO" position, a light sensor automatically
switches the head- and taillights on and off in response to light condi tions.
Fi g. 46 In strument
p an el: li gh t swit ch
The ligh t switc h must not be overtur ned past t he stops in
either d irection.
Switching on automatic headlight control
- Turn the lig ht sw itch to AUTO => fig. 46 .
Switching on the side marker lights
-Turn the lig ht swi tch to ~oo~.
Switching on the headlights and high beam
- Tur n the lig ht sw itch to ~D.
- Push the high beam leve r forward tow ards the in strument
panel=>
page 62 .
Switching off the lights
- Tu rn th e lig ht swi tch to 0.
T he headlights on ly work when the ignitio n is switc hed on. Whi le
starting the engine or w hen switching off t he ignition, the headlig hts
w ill go off and o nly the s ide marke r lights will be o n.
After starting the eng ine, the headlights are automatically adjusted*
to the load and angle o f th e vehicle (for example, during acce lerat ion,
brak ing) . This prevents oncom ing traff ic from experiencing unneces ­
sary headlight glare from your head lig hts.
If the system is not operat ing p roperly, a warning symbol in the Auto­
Check Control is displayed=>
page 31.
With the side marker lights o r headlights switc hed on, the symbol
next to the light switch illum inates
':o oc .
Daytime running lights
• USA models: On vehicles w ith xenon lights the dayt ime runn ing
lights will come on automat ica lly when the ignition is turned o n and
the light switch=> fig. 46 is i n the
O position or the AUTO position
(only i n day light conditions) . The
D aytime running light s function
can be turned on and off in the MMI menu
Exterior lighting
=> page 59. On vehicles wit h halogen lights there is no daytime
r u nning lights fu nctio n=>
& -
• Canada models: The daytime ru nning lights wi ll come o n auto­
matically w hen the ignit io n is t urned on and t he light switch=> fig. 46
is in the
O p osition or the AUTO position (on ly in day light co nditions)
=> & -
Automatic headlight control
In the switch pos ition AUTO the automatic headlight control is
t u rned on. The low beams are t urned on automatically t hrough a light
sensor as soon as ambient br ight ness (e .g . when dr iving into a
t u nnel) falls below a val ue p reset at the factory . When ambient .,.

Clear vision
-Press the switch /4. => page 61, fig. SO to turn the emer-
gency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four turn signals blink at the
same time. The turn signal indicator lights¢¢ in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency flasher switch~ blink
likewise.
The emergency flashers will turn on automatically if you are in an accident where the airbag has deployed.
(I) Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers when:
• you are the last vehicle standing in a traffic jam so that any other
vehicles coming can see you, or when
• your vehicle has broken down or you are in an emergency situa­
tion, or when
• your vehicle is being towed by a tow truck or if you are towing
another vehicle behind you .•
Turn signal ¢ c> and high beam ~D lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column is used to
operate the turn signals and the high beam as well as the
headlight flasher .
i
'
-to
"' -w
"' cc
Fig. 51 Turn signal
and high beam lever
The turn signal and high beam lever has the following func­
tions:
Turn signals ¢ Q
- Lift the lever up all the way=> fig. S 1 © to use the right
turn signals, or push the lever down all the way@to use
the left turn signals.
Auto-blink
-Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
to use the turn signals for as long as you need them, for
example when changing lanes.
- Move the lever (up or down) just to the point of resistance
and then release it right away to make the turn signals
blink
three times . You can use this feature for example
when changing lanes on highways.
~

High beam l[D
-Push the lever forward ® to switch on the high beam.
- Pull the lever back towards you to switch off the high
beam.
H eadlight flasher l[D
- Pull the lever toward the steering wheel© to use the
headlight flasher.
Notes on the se fea ture s
• The turn signals only work with the ignition turned on. The indi­
cato r lights ¢ or¢ in the instrument cluster=>
page 12 also blink.
• After you have turned a corner, the turn signal switches off auto­
matically.
• The
high beam works only when the headlights are on. The indi­
cato r light [D in the instrument cluster illuminates when the h igh
beams are on.
• T he
headlight flasher works only as long as you ho ld the lever -
even if there are no lights turned on. The indicator light~D in the
instrument cluste r illuminates when yo u use the headlight flasher.
0 Note
Do no t use the high beam or head light flasher if you know that these
could blind oncoming traffic .•
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Clear vision
Interior lights
Front interior lights
The interior lights include reading lights for both the
driver and the front passenger.
© Interior lights
Fig . 52 Headli ner:
F ron t inte rior lights
wit h rea ding lights
- Door contact switch : place the switch in the middle posi-
tion .
- Interior light switched on: place the switch in position
I.
-Interior light switched off: place the switch in position 0.
® Reading lights
- Press one of the switches '* to turn the right or left
reading light on or off .
In the door contact switch position (switch @in the middle position),
the interior lights turn on as soon as you unlock the vehicle or open
the doors. The interior lights are also turned on when the ignition key is removed. The light goes out about 30 seconds after the doors are
closed . When the vehicle is locked or when the ign ition is turned on,
the interior lights are turned off.
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Clear vision
When a door is open, the interior lights are turned off after about 10
minutes to prevent draining the battery.
The brightness of the lights is controlled automatically by a dimmer
when they a re switched on and off .•
Rear interior Lights
There ore reading lights in the rear for the passengers.
0 '-80
Fig . 53 Headline r:
Rea r read ing lights
Press one of the switches ~to turn the right or left
reading light on or off=> fig . 53 .
[I) Tips
If the t symbol in the safety switch ~ page 50 illuminates, the
w indow regulators in the rear doors, the switches for the interior
lights and the switch for the electric s un shade* are inoperative. •
Applies to ve hic le s: wit h am bien ce ligh tin g
Ambience Lighting
The ambience lighting con be adjusted in the MMI.
-Select: Function button I CAR ]> Systems* > Ambience
lighting.
When the vehicle is unlocked, the standard lighting turns on auto­ matically and dims after approx . 2 minutes, and when the ignition is
turned on it sw itches off immediately.
The following interior lighting is controlled through
Ambience lighting:
• Front footwe ll
• Rear footwell
• Front door panel
• Rear door panel •
Vision
Sun visors
Using the sun visors makes driving safer.
Sun visors
Fig. 54 Passenger
side: Sun visor
The sun visors for the driver and front passenger can be removed
from the ir center mountings and moved toward the door w indows
(D
to protect against side glare. After the sun visor has been moved to
the door, it can be extended lengthw ise. ..

Clear vision
Wiper and washer system
r..-.
Windshield wiper~
The windshield wiper lever controls both the windshield
wipers and the washer system.
F ig. 57 Wind sh ield
wi per l ever
The windsh ield wiper lever~ fig. 57 has the following pos i­
t ions:
Intermittent wiping \\J l (activating rain
sensor)
- Move the lever up to position (D .
- Move switch @ up or down, to adjust the sensitivity of the
rain sensor.
Low wiper speed
- Move the lever up to position @.
High wiper speed
- Move the lever up to position ®·
One-touch wiping
- Move the lever to position@, when you want to wipe the
windshield
briefly.
Automatic wiper /washer
- Pull t he lever to position © (toward the steering wheel)
and hold .
Re lea se t he le ver. The washe r stops and the wipers keep
going for about four seconds . Depend ing on how long the
lever is held, d ifferent numbers of wash cyc les are
performed.
Turning off the wipers
- Move the lever back to pos ition @) .
Gen eral information
The windshie ld wipers and the windshield washer system operate
only with the ign it ion on .
During a temporary stop, e.g. at a traff ic signal, the set w ipe speed is
automatically reduced by one stage.
The windsh ie ld washer nozzles are heated at low temperatures when
the ignition is on.
Removing w ate r dr oplet s
About S seconds after the wash cycle is complete, the wiper system
performs a single automatic wipe cycle to remove any water droplets
that remain on the windsh ield .
If you would l ike to deact ivate this delayed wipe cycle whi le driving,
you have to pull the lever to position ® again within 10 seconds after
t his wipe cycle .
Water droplet removal is reactivated after the ignition is switched off
and then on again.
~