2011 AUDI S6 suspension

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

Canada models:
Airbag system
Tire pressure monitoring system*
L eft turn signal
Malfunct ion Indicator Lamp (MIL)
/ : Lane assist (system is ready)
Lane assist (system is not ready)
Safety belt
Adapt ive A ir Suspe nsio n*
-~ Adaptive Air Suspension"
D H igh beam
--
Q Right turn signal
CRUISE USA models:
Cruise contro l a ct ivate d =>page
14
=> page 15
=>page 15
=> page 15
=> page 15
=> page 15
=>page 15
=> page 16
=> page 16
=> page 16
=> page 15
=>page 16
Canada models: => page 16
Cruise control activated
USA models: => page 17
Ant i-lock brake system (ABS) defective
Canada models : => page 17
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) defective
USA models: PARK BRAKE Elect romecha nica l parki ng b rake
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
=:::, page 17
-
-
-
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
(®)
BRAKE
--

Canada models: => page 17
E lectromechanical parking brake
USA model s: => page 18
Brake ma lf u nct ion
-Canada models: => page 18
B rake malfunction
Vehicles with the Adaptive Cru ise Control* have the following addi­
ti onal check lamps:
Open road
i;:;::::::, 1111 i;:;::::::, D ri vi n g i n traffic
i;:;::::::, 1111 i;:;::::::, Request for dr iver to
assume con trol
& WARNING
=> page 12 7
=:::, page 127
=> page 127
• Failure to heed warning light s and other important vehicle
information may result in s erious personal injury or vehicle
damage.
• Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe
distan ce off the road, st op the engine, and turn on the emergency
flasher =>
page 61.
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle i s a potentially
hazardous area . Befo re you check anyth ing in the engine compart ­
ment, stop the engine and let it cool down. Always exercise
extreme caution when working under the hood=>
page 2 71,
"Engine compartment". .,.
Vehicle care Technical data

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Adaptive Air Suspension
~
This warning/indicator light has the following functions :
• It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is t urned on as
function check and then goes out .
• If the warn ing/ind icator light illuminates or blinks continuously,
there is a system fault in the Adaptive Air Suspension . A system fault
can result in limited r ide comfort and
lo w gro un d cle arance. Drive
safely to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop,
and have the fault corrected .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes, you should not drive the
vehicle . The flashing warning/indicator light po ints to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the vehicle (extreme High
level) can resu lt, for example, when a heavy load is removed from the
vehicle . As soon as the level has returned to normal, the
warning/indicator light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
• If the warning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
a,
warning/ indicator light, you shou ld not drive off immediately in order
to prevent damage to the underbody . The two warn ing/indicator
lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A
very
pronounced lowering of the vehicle (extreme Low leve l) can result,
for examp le, from a heavy load. As soon as the leve l has returned to
normal , the warning/ indicator lights stop flash ing, and you can drive
away.
0 Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the a,
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because low ­
lying vehicle parts can bottom ou t as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result. •
Adaptive Air Suspension c.:)
This wa rning/indicator light has the following functions : •
It illuminates for a few seconds after the ignition is turned on as
fu nction check and then goes out.
• It comes on for approximately 15 seconds as a warning of
redu ced
gr oun d clea ra nc e,
if the dynamic mode is activated and if the ignition
is switched on =>
page 169, "Chassis controls" .
• If the warning/indicator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you shou ld not drive the vehicle immed iate ly
in orde r to prevent damage to the underbody. The two wa rning/indi­
cator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A very
pronounced lowering of the veh icle (extreme Low leve l) can res ult,
for example, from a heavy load . As soon as the level has returned to
normal, the warning/indicator lights stop flashing, and you can drive
away.
0 Note
If the wa rning/ind icator light flashes in conjunction with the
warning/indicator light, you should not drive the vehicle because low ­
lying vehicle parts can bottom out as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result. •
High beam ~D
The ~D warning/indicator light illuminates when the high beams are
on or whe n you use the headlight flasher. Fo r more informat ion about
using the high beams, see=>
page 62. •
Cruise control
CRUISE (USA models) /(lJ1 (Canada models)
The warning/indicator light illuminates when the cruise control is
activated .•

On the road Ill
----------------
• Please also exercise exceptional care when you drive up or down
steep ramps or drive over cu rbs or other obstacles, for which the
vehicle is not designed, because components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and
exhaust system components , may become damaged. •
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an incline, do
the following:
- Keep the switch pulled and depress the accelerator . The
parking brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle from
rolling bac kward .
- You can re lease the switch once you are sure tha t you are
deve loping enoug h forward momentum at the wheels as
you depress the accelerator.
Depend ing on the we ight of the rig (vehicle and trailer) and the
sever ity of the incline, you may roll backwards as you start. You can
prevent ro llin g backwards by holding the park ing bra ke sw itch pulled
out and accelera ting - just as you would when starting on a hill with a
conventional hand brake. •
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake system fails or
locks.
- Pull the switch and cont inue to pull it to slow your ve hicle
w ith the parking brake in an emerge ncy.
- As soon as you re lease the sw itch or acce lerate, the
braking process stops .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
If you pull the switch and hold it above a speed of about 5 mph (8
km/h),
the eme rgency brak ing f unct io n is ini tia ted. The vehicle is
braked at all four wheels by activat ing the hydraulic brake system .
Brake performance is similar to making an emergency stop=>& .
So that emergency b raking is not act ivated by mistake, an aud ible
warning tone (buzzer) sounds when the switch is pulled. As soon as
the swi tch is released, or the accelerator pedal is depressed, eme r­
gency braking stops.
& WARNING
Emergency braking should only be u sed in an emergen cy, when
the normal foot brake ha s failed or th e brake pedal i s ob structed.
Us ing the park ing b rake to perf orm emergency braking will slow
your v ehicl e as if you had made a full brak e app lic ation . Th e law s
of physics cannot be suspen ded even w ith ESP and it s associated
c omponent s (AB S, ASR , EDS ). In corn ers and when road or
weather condit ion s are bad , a full brake application can cause the
v eh icle t o skid or the rear end to bre ak awa y- r isking an a ccident. •
Driver messages in the instrument cluster
Caution : V ehi cle park ed too steep
Th is message appears whe n the parking brake is applied on an incline
that exceeds abo ut 30%.
I n this case the b raking power of the parking brake may
not be
adequate
to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintentionally.
Plea se re leas e park ing brak e
This message appears , when a gear is se lected and the accelerator
peda l is dep ressed - release the parking brake . .,
Vehicle care Technical data

1111...._ __ P_a _ r_ k_ a_ s_ s_is _ t ____________________________________________________ _
• Never use warm or hot water to remove snow or ice from the rear
view camera lens -danger of crack formation on the lens!
• When cleaning the lens, never use products that are abrasive. •
App lies to veh icles : with par king system (rea r, wit h rea r vie w camera)
Switching on/off
The rear view camera switches on automatically together
with the acoustic park assist when you put the vehicle in
reverse.
Switching on
- Before parking with the rear view camera , the Adaptive Air
Suspension* comfort or automatic mode must be
switched on=:>
page 16.
-Put the vehicle in reverse gear, the acoustic parking
system with rear view camera is activated automatically .
Activation of the acoustic parking system is confirmed by
a brief acknowledgement sound.
Switching off
- Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
- take the vehicle out of reverse gear. The acoustic parking
system is immediately deactivated, and the rear view
camera picture is deactivated automatically after a period
of about 15 seconds, or
- switch off the ignition.
The delay in deactivating the camera provides an uninterrupted view
behind the vehicle especially when maneuvering in tight parking
spaces and prevents the picture from turning off the every time you
shift out of reverse . If the warning message appears in the display but
not the rear view
camera picture, read and confirm the warning message. The acoustic
distance signal is always active.
If you press a function button on the MMI control console, the rear
view camera picture disappears. The rear view camera picture reap­
pears the next time you park.
Further information on the warning message and the MMI control
console can be found in the MMI instruction booklet .
(I] Tips
• The rear view camera picture is available as soon as the MMI
Display or the M Ml is switched on, or the start-up phase is completed.
• Keep the sensors in the rear bumper and the rear view camera lens
clean and free of snow and ice, so that the parking system can work
properly . Please follow the additional notes on~
page 167. •
Applie s to v eh icl es: wit h pa rk in g sys tem (re ar, with re a r vie w cam era)
Reverse Parking
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in a garage or
parking space.
Fig. 158 MMI Display:
aiming at a parking
spot .,_

lffll.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
Adaptive Air Suspension
Adaptive Air Suspension and
Damping
Ap plies to veh icles: w ith Ad aptive Ai r Suspens ion
Description
Adaptive Air Suspension and damping can be regula ted
and they adapt automatically to a request from the
driver and the driving situation at the time .
Adaptive Air Suspension is an e lectron ically controlled springing and
damping system . This chass is system makes it eas ie r on the driver by
adapting to the particular situation th rough impe rceptible contro l
processes .
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component regu lates ground clearance
depending on ve hicl e speed, load cond ition and driver input.
W hen the system is in a utomatic mode, accelerat ing to a speed above
a predete rm ined limit will make the vehicle lower itsel f. On t he othe r
hand, driv ing more slowly res ults in the vehicle ra is ing again at
specific speeds.
Th e
damping component provides individua l control of the damping
forces. For example, with damp ing characterist ics set to provide
greater com fort, damp ing is se t somewhat harder for a br ief period
only as required, for example, whe n going around a curve or over
rough road sur faces as we ll as when braking .
Settings
Adaptive Air Suspension prov ides the drive r wi th t he opportu nity to
set the chass is characterist ics also to their individual preference.
W ith the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic an d Dynamic the dr ive r
has three chassis sett ings available, ranging from comfort to sporty.
In addit ion,
Lift p rovides a fourth mode which can be selecting fo r
dr iving over poor stretches of road =>
page 169, "Chass is controls" . The modes are set
in MM I =>
page 169.
& WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can change due to temperature
fluctuation s or changes in load .
0 Note
• Whenever you park yo ur vehicle, always make sure there is
adeq uate clearance above and below the ve hicle . T he heig ht of the
parked vehicle can change as the res ult of temperature fluctuations,
chang es in load condition and changes in the dr iv ing mode (ground
clearance).
• If the veh icle is be ing transported (e .g. by tow truck, train, ship,
etc.) , mount the tie-down cha ins/cables over the r unning s urface
(c ircumfere nce) of the tir es. Never sec ure the ve hicle by the ax le, the
suspension struts or the front or rea r tow line eye. For technical
reaso ns, the p ressure in t he suspension st ru ts m ay change dur ing the
transport, w hic h could result in the vehicle no longer being secured
pro perly.
• To prevent damage to the vehicle underbody, remember that your
veh icle is no t an off-roa d veh icle, even in the "lift" mo de. Th e ground
clearance is insufficient for this type of operation.
• If you are go ing to tow a trai ler, you mus t activate the trai ler ope r­
ation mode =>
page 170.
[ i ] Tips
Before you raising your vehicle us ing the veh icle jack (for example,
w hen c hanging a flat tire) you must acti va te the j ack ing mode
::::>page170 .•

____________________________________________ A_ d_a_ p ,_ t_iv _ e_ A _ i_ r _ S_ u_s_, p __ e_n _ s_ i _o_ n __ _
App lies to vehicles : with A dap tive Air Su spen sion
Chassis controls
Four different driving modes can be set by the driver.
The automatic control processes are speed- and time-dependent. For
example, it is not possible to raise the suspension to the lift mode
above certain speeds.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if yo u prefer suspens ion and damping
settings emphasizing comfort.
• Lowering : When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded
for more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is automatically lowered by
about 0.6 inch (15 mm) to the dynamic level which is more suitable
for highway speeds. Road holding is optimized as a result of the lower center of gravity and fuel consumption is reduced as a result of
reduced wind resistance.
• Raising: The vehicle is automatically raised aga in if the speed falls
below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a period of 2 minutes. The veh icle
is raised immediately when speed falls be low about 22 mph (35
km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a suspension sett ing with a
special emphasis on comfort. In the standard mode there is
no
lower ing of the suspens ion. Even at high speeds, the veh icle stays at
the same level. Damp ing characteristics with a decided emphasis on
comfort are selected in this mode.
Dynamic
Select the dynam ic mode if you prefer a sporty suspension sett ing. In
this mode, the vehicle is lowered while it is still stationary and sporty
damping characteristics are selected. The warning light
c.::> in the
instrument cluster will come on for a few seconds just to remind you
of the reduced ground clearance.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
If you switch off the engine while the vehicle is in the dynamic mode
and then switch on the
ignition once again, the
c.::> warning light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a reminder.
Lift
Select the lift mode when you have to travel over poor sections of
road (e.g. trails). In the lift mode, the vehicle is raised by 0.6 inch (15
mm) compared to normal level while it is still stationary and damping
characteristics are adjusted to emphasize comfort.
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds below 50 mph (80
km/h). When a speed of about 62 mph (100 km/h) is exceeded, the
system automatica lly leaves lift mode and the mode set previously
(standard, automatic, dynamic) is activated again .•
App lies to vehicles : w ith Adapt ive Air Sus pension
Setting the driving modes
The driving modes are set in f\1/11!.
Fig. 162 MMI display:
Settings
The ignition must be switched on to set the driving modes.
- Select: Function button [CAR].
Please note that not every driving mode c an be selected in every
driving situation. For example, it is not possible to switch to "lift"
Vehicle care Technical data

lffl!I.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
mode at speeds above SO mph (80 km/h). This mode is then shown
greyed out in the MMI display .
For additional information on the driving modes=>
page 169,
"Chassis controls". •
Appli es to ve hicles: w it h Adap tive Air S uspensi on
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
This mode must be activated in the MMI before raising
the vehicle with a jack or on a vehicle lift.
-Select: Function button [CAR)> function button [SETUP]
> Jacking mode.
The vehicle jack mode must be activated before changing a wheel so
that the au toma tic control processes for the air suspension do not
make lifting with the vehicle jack more difficult.
[ i ] Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off automatica lly at speeds above 9
mph (15 km/h) .•
Ap plies to veh icle s: with Ad ap tive Ai r Suspe nsion
Towing a trailer
Automatic lowering is not desirable when towing a
trailer .
-Select: Function button [CAR)> function button [SETUP]
> Towing mode .
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
• Before hitching up the trailer and before adjust ing the tongue
we ight at the trailer, the automatic or comfort mode
must be selected, so that the vehicle is at normal
level=>
page 169, "Setting
the driving modes".
• If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this mode
must be selected
before hitch ing up the trailer and before adjusting the tongue
weight . However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clear­
ance is reduced .
• If you have to drive under difficu lt road conditions, you can select
lift mode after hitching up the trailer or after adjusting the tongue
weight.
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating with a trailer, the lift mode can only be selected up
to about 25 mph (40 km/h). The system automatically goes out of lift
mode when speed exceeds about 31 mph (SO km/h).
If the vehicle is in automatic, comfort or lift mode before the trailer
towing mode is act ivated, the dynam ic mode cannot be activated .
I f the vehicle is in dynamic mode before towing operation is acti­
vated, it can be driven in this mode .
If the suspens ion is switched
from this mode to automatic mode, dynamic mode cannot be re­
selected.
[ i ] Tips
If the trailer towing mode has been act ivated, the vehicle will not sink
to the dynamic level if selected .•