2011 AUDI S6 brakes

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
A ...
.j {USA models) /..., {Canada models)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS and the
electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light will come on for a few seconds when the
ign ition is switched on . The light w ill go out after an a utomat ic check
sequence is comp leted .
There is a malfunction in the ABS when: • Th e warn ing/ indic ator light does not ill uminate when you swi tch
on the ig nit io n.
• Th e warn ing/ in dic ator lig ht does not go out a fter a few se conds .
• The warning/ind icator light illuminates while d riving.
The brake sy stem will still re spond even without the a ssistance of
the ABS system . See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance.
For more i nformat ion
regarding the ABS=>
page 246.
The ABS warning l ight and the brake warning light come on
together. The ABS will not work and you will noti ce a change in
brak ing response and performance.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light=> page 18 and the ABS warning ill uminate
together there may be a malfu nction in t he A BS, a nd there may a lso
be a malfunction in the brake system itself=>& .
In the even t of a
malfunction in the b rake system the warning/ indi ­
ca tor light
BRAKE (U SA mode ls)/ ((])) (Canada models) in the instrume nt
cl uster flashes . By p ressing the
I C H ECK ) button, you ca n bring up a
dr iver message w hic h explains the malfunc tion in mo re de tail. Please
not e=>
pag e 26 .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
Malfunction in the electroni c differential lock (EDL)
Th e ED L wor ks toge ther w it h the ABS . The A BS wa rning light will
come on if t he re is a malfunction in the EDL system=>
page 243. See
your authorized Aud i dea le r as soon as poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the ... Is~ (USA models)/ d (Canada models ) warning light
does not go out , o r if it comes on while driving, the ABS system is
not working properly . The vehicle can then be stopped only with
the standard brakes (without ABS ). You w ill not have the protec­
tion ABS provide s. Contact your Aud i dealer as soon as pos sible.
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the 9 warning
light come on together, the rear wheel s could lock up fir st under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cau se los s of vehicle control
and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by you r
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light «D> and the ABS
warning light come on together , the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking . Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop.
Drive slowly and a void sudden, hard brake applications. •
Electromechanical parking brake
~E {USA models) /(®) {Canada models)
The warning/indicator light monit ors the electromechan­
ical parking brake.
With the parking bra ke app lied and the ignition turned o n, t he
warning/indicator light illum inates. After the ign ition has been
t u rned
off, the wa rni ng/ind icator light co nti nu es to i llumi nate for
abou t 30 seconds . If the parki ng brake is applied w it h the ignition _,,
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
tu rned off, the warning/ind icator light illum inates for abo ut 30
s e co nd s.
Th e warn ing/i ndicator lig ht w ill go out whe n the parking brake is
re lease d.
If the w arn ing/ indi ca tor li ght flas hes c ontinuou sly
after applying th e
park ing brake, braking force is not suffic ient to p revent the vehicle
fro m rolling unin te n ti onally. Pleas e note the following:
• If th e slope of the g round is too ste ep to pa rk the vehicle, the addi­
tional drive message ap pea rs
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep .
• In th e eve nt of a pa rk ing bra ke malfunc tion, t he yellow symbol
appea rs in the inst rument cluste r display a nd the dr ive r message
Parking brake auto release: system fault is displayed . Have the
ma lf u nctio n re paire d as soo n as poss ible by a qualified Audi
dea le rs hi p.•
Brake system BRAKE (USA
models)
/ {Q)) (Canada models)
The war ning/in dic ator li ght flash es i f br ake fluid le vel is
low , if t he re i s an A BS sys te m malfu nction or a pa rking
b rake malf unct ion.
The lig ht ill um inates when the ign it io n is tu rned on . It goes out afte r
t he engi ne has been st arted. This indicat es tha t the b ra k e war ning
light is functioning proper ly.
If the brake warning light does not light up when the engine is
cranking, there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In
this case, contact your Audi dealer.
If the b ra ke sys tem w arning/i nd ic a tor light flashes, there is a br ake
system malfunction . By press ing the [
CHECK ] button, you can bring
up a driver mess age whi ch expl ain s t he m alfunc tion in mo re de ta il
=>page 26 .
If the ABS fa ils, t he ABS war ning/ indica to r li ght (USA
mod els)/ (Canada mo dels) fla shes toge ther wi th th e bra ke syste m
warni ng/ind icator light=> &.
(USA models):
If the warning light BRAKE and the wa rnin g light illu­
m inate toge ther, im media tely con tac t you r author ized A udi dealer or
qualif ied workshop to have all brake pads inspected=>
page 31.
When the ligh t comes on, an a udible w arnin g signal is also give n.
& WARNING
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the r i,~ warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking . Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident . Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models : If the brake warning light (CD) and the ABS
warning light :::; come on together, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock -up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­ di ately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• If the brake warning/indicator light does not go out after a few
seconds and the parking brake released, or lights up while you are
driving, the fluid level in the brake fluid reservoir is too low. If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed immediately at low speed
to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair facility
and have the brake system inspected.
• Always keep in m ind that after several brake applications , you
will need greater pressure on the brake pedal to stop your vehicle.
Do not rely on strained brakes to respond with maximum stopping
power in critical situations. You must allow for increased braking
distances. The extra distance used up by fading brakes could lead
to an accident. •

Battery voltage 1• i
If the battery's state of charge is not in the optima l range, the
symbo l is show n in the di splay and the d river me ssage
Low battery
charge: battery will be charged while dri ving
appears.
Whi le this d river notification is displayed, you have to be prepared for
limited starting capability .
Driver message appears and goes out again
If this driver message appears after the ignition is turned on or while
driving and it goes o ut again afte r a while, the ba ttery has been
adequate ly recharged.
Driver me ssage appears and does not go out again
If th is dr iver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
wh ile driving and does not go ou t aga in, the battery 's state o f charge
is not in the opt imal range . Starting capability is restricted. Have the
bat tery checked by an au thor ized A udi dea le r as soon as possible. •
Worn brake pads U
._ Brake pads!
If the war ning lig ht ill um inates, immediately co ntact your au tho rized
Audi dea ler or qualified wor kshop to have all brake pads inspected.
On USA mode ls the warn ing light comes on together w it h the
warning light
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an axle must a lways
be re placed at th e same time.
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury .
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
& WARNING
(co ntinued )
• If the warning light... and the warning light BRAKE1l with the
mes sage Brake pads! comes on in the instrument cluster di splay,
immediately contact your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary. •
Headlight range control defective ((
~ ~ Headlight range control defective
If the symbo l illumina tes, the dynam ic he adlig ht r an ge con tro l is no
longer working properly. Have the system checked and repaired at
your Audi de aler. •
Engine oil Level~
Please che ck oil level
Whe n the symbol i llumina tes, check t he engine o il level as soo n as
poss ible => page 283 . Top off the oil at yo ur earlies t oppor tunity
=>page284 .•
Engine oil sensor defective _t..
Oi l level! sensor defective
If the symbo l illuminates, contact your author ized A udi dealer and
have the oi l senso r inspected. Un til you have t his don e, check the oil
level each time you refue l just to be on the safe side => page 283. •
ll BRAKE : USA mode ls only
Vehicle care Technical data

_________________________________________________ O_ n_t_ h _ e_ ro_ a_d __ ffl'II
The display=> page 116, fig. 106 will show the set speed. The display
may vary depending on the type of display in your vehicle. T he indi­
cator light
CRUISE (US model) I c-f (Canadian model) w ill also light up
in the instrument cluster.
The speed is kept constant via an engine output adjustment or active
brake intervention.
_& WARNING
• Always pay attention to traffic even when the cruise control is
switched on. You are always responsible for your speed and the
distance between your vehicle and other vehicles.
• For safety reasons, the cruise control should not be used in the
city, in stop-and-go traffic, on twisting roads and when road
conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing ) - risk of accident.
• Turn off the cruise control temporarily when entering turn
lanes, highway exit lanes or in construction zones.
• Please note that inadvertently "resting" your foot on the accel­
erator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake . This is because
the cruise control is overridden by the driver's acceleration .
(I] Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the brakes decelerate
automatically . •
A ppli es to ve hicles : w it h cr uise contro l
Changing speed
- Press lever in the G)orQ direction ==> page 116, fig. 105
to increase or decrease your speed.
- Release the lever to save that speed.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Change speed
in increments of 1 mph (1 km/h) by lightly pressing the
lever. If you keep the lever pressed down, yo u will alter your speed in
5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down to increase your speed, e .g . if you want to pass someone. The speed you saved earlier wi ll
resume as soon as you release the accelerator pedal.
If, however, you exceed yo ur saved speed by 5 mph (10 km/h) for
longer than S m inutes, the cruise control will turn off temporarily.
The symbol will go out but the saved speed will be retained .•
App lies to ve hicle s: w it h cr uise c ontro l
Presetting your speed
You can preset your desired speed while the vehicle is not
moving.
- Turn on the ignition.
- Pull lever into position
(i) ==> page 116, fig. 105 .
- Press the lever in the
0 or 0 direction to increase or
decrease your speed.
- Release the lever to save that speed.
This function makes it possible, for example, to save the speed yo u
want before driving on the highway. Once on the highway, act ivate
the cruise contro l by pulling the lever toward
(D. •
A pp lies to ve hicles : wit h cr uise c ontro l
Switching the system off
Temporary deactivation
- Press the brake pedal, or
Vehicle care Technical data

lffl!I.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ C_r_ u_ i_ s_ e_ C_ o_ n_ t_ r_ o_ l __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Never allow the closing speed between you and other vehicles
to be so high that the Adaptive Cruise Control may not b e able to
slow your vehicle safely.
If closing speed is too high , you must
appl y the brake s yourself to r educe the risk of a rear-end crash.
• Never re st your foot on the accelerator pedal , especially when
the Adaptive Crui se Control is being used . Pre ssure on the acceler ­
ator will o verride the ACC braking fun ction and prevent the brakes
from being applied when ACC detects a situation when the brakes
must be applied .
• Never use Adaptive Cruise Control when you cannot drive safely
at a steady speed, including on city streets , on winding roads or
when road conditions are poor (for example, on ice, gravel, in fog,
heavy rain or on wet roads that incre ase the risk of hydroplaning ).
• The radar sensor's
vision can be reduced by rain, snow and
heavy road spray. These and simila r conditions can p revent vehi­
cles up ahead from b eing accurately detect ed and in some cases
they may not be detected at all. Do not use ACC when the rad ar
sen sors cannot ac curately detect vehicle s moving ah ead of you in
traff ic.
• Alway s turn off Adaptive Cruise Control when ente ring turn
lanes, exit lanes and construction zones or in similar situations
becaus e the vehicle will automatic ally a ccelerate to the stored
speed when the road ahead is clear .
• To prevent unintended operation, always switch ACC off when
it is not being used.
[ i ) Tips
• For safety reasons, the stored speed is deleted when the ignition
is tu rned off.
• The Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) and the Anti-Slip Regu­
la tion (ASR) cannot be dea ct iv a te d w he n t he A dapt ive Cruise Co ntr ol
is switched on. If the ESP and the Anti -S li p Reg ulation (ASR) has been deactivated and yo
u then sw itch on the Adapt ive Cr uise Contro l, th e
ES P fu nction w ill als o be a ct iv a te d a utom atically.
• Damage caused by accidents and some minor collisions can affect
t he rad ar sensor settings and c ause the system to malfunction o r
switch off completely .
• Th e radar s ensor cover is heate d. In w in ter cond itions, you sho uld
st ill check befo re dr iv ing to make sur e it is free of ice and snow. If
neces sary, cle an the area ne ar the r ad ar sensor carefull y::::>
page 119,
fig. 107 .
• T o ensure th at th e radar sensor i s not bl ocke d , fo reign obje cts
(e .g. stickers, larger license plate mounts, add-on parts) must not
cover the area near the r ada r senso r::::>
page 119, fig. 1 07. Th e area
near the radar sensor must not be painted, either.
• F or Decla ration o f Compli ance to Uni te d Stat es FCC and I ndustry
Canada regulations::::>
page 349. •
Applies to vehicles : w ith Adaptive Cruise Control
How does Adaptive Cruise Control work?
Vehicles trav eling ahead are det ect ed with the aid of a
radar sensor.
Fig . 108 Basic prin­
cipl e dia gram : Radar
s en sor me asurement
rang e
Adaptive Cr uise Cont rol uses a radar sensor in the fron t of t he vehicle
::::> fig. 108 . The system has limitations::::>
page 131. Things that are
no t moving in yo ur lane and in your dire ct io n of trave l will not be
~

_________________________________________ __;A~ d:.; a::..i.:: p..:t ..:..iv ..:....:: e_C.::..;.. r_u _i _ s _e _C_;__ o_n_ t_ r_ o_ l __ _
detected. The senso r measures the distance to reflective s urfaces
t h at m ust have a cert ain s ize. T he sys tem res ponds only aft er t he
dis tance measurement has been made.
If a measureme nt is not
poss ible, t he system cannot res pond and w ill not react to a vehicle o r
something else u p ahead.
Open road
When th e road is clear, t he Adaptive Cruise Con trol works like cru is e
co ntrol.
It m ainta in s a c onst ant ta rg et spee d sp ecif ie d by the dr ive r.
Driving in traffic
If a sl ower ve hicle dr iv ing ahead is detec ted, the A dap tive Cr uise
Control decele rates (within t he lim its of the system)=>
page 130,
"Driver interven tion promp t" and => page 131, "System lim itatio ns"
t o its speed and af ter adjus ting, tries to maintain the set d istance
from t he ve hicle ahe ad. Th e vehicle m ay temporari ly dr ive slower
t han the set s peed wh ile adjus ting=>
& in " Descr ipt io n" on
page 119 .
If th e vehicle in front acc ele ra tes, Ad aptive Cru ise Contr ol also a ccel­
erates up to the speed t hat you have set.
Situations requiring driver intervention
In some situat ions you will have to use the footbra ke to slow the
vehicle down in order to keep a sa fe distance from vehi cle in fro nt of
you or to avo id a rear -end co llision. I n this s ituation, a symbo l
a ppe ars and a war ning t one soun ds =>
page 13 0.
Passing another vehicle
If you move in to the passing lane and no ve hicle is detected ahea d,
the Adaptive Cruise Control accelerates to the speed you have set and
mai ntains it.
Overriding ACC
You ca n increase your spee d at a ny ti me by steppi ng on t he acceler­
ato r pedal. After you release the accelerator peda l, t he system
adju sts bac k dow n to the s peed yo u previously se t.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Reducing stopping distance
If the radar sensor de
tects tha t the dis tance to the vehi cle ahea d is
less than defined minim um distance, the brakes a re au toma tically
pre pare d fo r emer gency b rak ing by the driver . The brake pads are
moved very close to t he b rake discs wi thou t ac tually b rak ing t he
vehicle . This bra ke ass istant feature reacts more quickly to t he
dr iv er 's brak ing, and a lso wo rks wh en Ada ptiv e Cr uise Contro l is off .
T he stopping distance is reduced as a result of this advance b rak e
pre par at ion. Th is fu n ction does n ot p erform a ny eme rgency brak ing
maneuve rs by itself; t he d river must always app ly the brakes.
& WARNING
• Never rely on the distance control feature of ACC alone to
prevent rear-end collisions. Always be prepared to brake and take
evasive action to avoid collisions and other accident situations.
• Never allow the closing speed between you and other vehicles
to be so high that the Adaptive C ru ise Control m ay not be able to
slow your vehicle safely. If closing speed is too high, you must
apply the brakes yourself to reduce the risk of a rear-end crash.
[I) Tips
Please note that the amo unt o f acce leration the Ada ptive Cr uise
C on trol uses depe nds on t he Dist ance se tt ing se lec ted . DIS TA NCE 1
gives you accelerat io n that is dynamic and spo rty . DISTANCE 4, on the
o th er h an d , gives more mo derat e accelera tion. Fo r mo re info rm at ion
about the time intervals=>
page 125, "H ow is the distance (time
interva l) set ?".
• Please note that if the Adapt ive Cru ise Control has begun b raking
t he vehi cle and t he dr ive r ch oose s to brake the vehicle additi onally,
t he brakes may fe el "hard". Thi s is s imply due to the press ure build ­
up of the initia l bra king .
• Adaptive Cr uise Contro l is sw itched off afte r pressing the foot­
br ak e. Th e speed saved up this poin t ca n be resu med. T o resume the
saved speed, release t he brake pedal and p ull the control lever _.,
Vehicle care Technical data

lffll.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ C_r_ u_ i_ s_ e_ C_ o_ n_ t_ r_ o_ l __________________________________________ _
How your vehicle responds when accelerating and follow ing other
veh icles wi th AC C opera ting c an be ad apte d to you r person al wishes
through diffe rent driving programs. Depend ing o n which driving
pro gram an d which distance you choose, you r veh icle w ill respon d
Settings DISTANCE
1
Symbol for time interval c;:::::::::,_c;:::::::::, __ _
Support for: Bu mp er-t o-b um per
tra ff ic, br isk driving
Response in " dynamic " driving program 1
Response in "standard " driving program 2
Response in "comfort " driving program 3
(dy namic) 1 ----- 2 ----- 3 ----- 4 ----- 5 (comfortable)
& WARNING
Following other vehicles too closely increases the risk of a crash
and serious personal injury .
• Following other vehicles too closely , particularly at higher
s peeds increase s the risk of collisions and serious personal injury.
• Setting short distances to the traffic ahead reduces the time
and distance available to bring your vehicle to a safe stop and
makes it even more necessary to pay close attention to traffic.
• Always select a speed and distance to traffic ahead that is safe
and appropriate under the prevailing traffic, road , weathe r and
lighting conditions.
• Never rely on the distance control feature of ACC alone to
prevent rear-end collisions . Always be prepared to brake and take
ev asive action to avoid collisions and other accident situations .
• Never allow the closing spe ed between you and other vehicles
to be so high that the Adaptive Cruise Control may not be able to more dynamically or more com
fortab ly when accelerating a nd
bra king. The set ting is se lec ted t hrough the MMI m enu Adaptive
Cruise Control =>
page 131, "MM I sett ings" .
DISTANCE
2 DISTANCE 3 DISTANCE4
~- _ c;:::::::::,_ - c;:::::::::,_ - _ c;:::::::::,_
c;:::::::::,_ - - _c;:::::::::,
Bum p er-to- bum per Bum per -to- bum per Se co nd ary r oads, tr ail er
tra ff ic, "keep ing pace" traff ic, "k eep ing pace" o perat ion
c omf ortabl y comfort ab ly
2 2 3
3 3 4
4 4
5
&, WARNING (co ntinued )
slow your vehicle safely . If closing speed is too high, you must
apply the brakes yourself to reduce the risk of a rear-end cra sh .
• Always select a greater following distance to the vehicle ahead
on wet roads than on dry roads.
• Always read and heed the information and WARNINGS=>
& in
" Description " on
page 119.
[I) Tips
Th e d istance sett ing is reset to the facto ry defau lt DISTANCE 3 the
next time the ignition is turned on .•

1111....__A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ C_r_ u_ i_ s_ e_ C_ o_ n_ t_ r_ o_ l __________________________________________ _
• .::::::,,,,,.::::::, Driving in traffic: The indicator light .::::::,11 .. .::::::, shows that a
veh icle moving in yo ur lane of tr ave l has been de te cte d up fron t in
your lane o f travel. Your speed is adjusted accord ing to the speed of
the vehicle up front. ACC accelerates and brakes automatically within
the system's capabilit ies.
• .::::::,,,,,.::::::, Driver intervention prompt : The red flashing w arning
light
.::::::,11 .. .::::::, means Request for driver to as sume control. You as the
driver must slow the vehicle with the foot brake . The symbo l
.::::::,11 .. .::::::,
tells you that the Adapt ive C ruise Contro l is not able to slow the
vehicle down eno ugh to keep a enough distance to the vehicle in front
of you. A warning to ne w ill a lso sound when the symbol appea rs . For
more info rmation about t he dr iver inte rvention prompt~
page 130.
& WARNING
Improper use of the Adaptive Cruise Control feature s and inatten­
tion can lead to an crash and serious personal injury.
• Never allow the closing speed between you and other vehicles
to be so high that the Adaptive Cruise Control may not be able to slow your vehicle safely . If closing speed is too high , you must
apply the brakes yourself to reduce the ri sk of a rear-end crash .
• Always sele ct a greater following dis tance to the vehicle up
ahead on w et roads than on dry road s.
• Always read and heed the information and WARNINGS ~
& in
" Description " on
page 119.
[ i ] Tips
• If you use the accelerator to go faster tha n the speed of the
vehicle ahead of yo u, the drive r intervention prompt will not be
accompanied by a warning to ne.
• If the spee d you previously set is ex ceeded, t he i nd ic ato r light in
the speedometer will sw itch off .•
A pp lies to veh ic les: with Adapt ive Cru ise C ontrol
Display in the instrument cluster
Fig . 116 Di splay in
the instrum ent cluster
Scr oll throug h the available information displays by br iefly tapping
the
I RESE T) button at the end of the windshield w iper leve r. Yo u can
select info rmation from the tr ip comp uter, naviga tion system * or
Adaptive Cr uise Contro l.
© Vehicle symbol
® Distance
© Status
© Vehicle symbol
The ve hicle symbol indi ca tes whether the system h as de te cted an
object trave ling in front.
• Vehicle outline : Open road, no vehicle ahea d.
• White ve hicle: A vehicle is detected ahead.
• Red vehicl e: Request for dr iver to assume control.
® Distance
Us ing the a rrows and scale , you can det ect how fa r it is to the v ehi cle
in front of you.
• Open road : No arrow appea rs when the veh icle is on a n open ro ad
and there is no ve hicle ahead. .,,_